Seven Kingdoms
by CampionSayn
Summary: AU. Armada/Animated/Movie. What if the Autobots landed on an Earth filled with magic, psychics, private wars of domination, and shapeshifters?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Seven Kingdoms.  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing connecting to these characters. All of Transformer related things are the property of Hasbro.  
Warnings: I probably won't be bashing anyone and this is AU, fantasy, and I was inspired to do this by the movie Push. You have been warned. Also, this will be carried on by drabbles, one-shots, snippets and the like. All will be connected by a single motivated story-line so hold onto your hats and enjoy the ride…. Please?  
Summary: AU, based mostly around the idea of the Tranformers landing on an Earth with shape shifters, psychics, witches and very, very little technology. Slightly tilted Armada verse with the occasional appearance of the '07, '09 and Animated humans and possibly Transformers, although those will most likely be based on Animated, because the ones in the movies freak me out.

"Mech"- Regular speech  
"_Femme_"- Mini-con speech/comm. link  
"**Trans**"- Telepathic speech  
'_Formers_'- Thoughts  
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**Primitive:**

"So, you're the ones High Wire spoke about…"

Standing above Rad at an ominous height of over thirty feet, tall and proud, were the autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. Three of them. The blond had expected it to scare him, make him change and bolt back to his tribe, but… High Wire was right. They may be somewhat strange to him and Carlos, but they had a trusting aura.

"Hello. You must be the ones the Mini-cons spoke of," The obvious leader greeted, bending down just enough to get a better look at both young men, their two Mini-cons, plus the one who hadn't been claimed yet, standing their ground beside them. The blue eyed seventeen year old moved two steps forward, Carlos staying with the Mini-cons in a regular protective stance all the elder males of the tribe took when guarding something precious.

"I'm Rad, and I'd like to welcome you to Earth and the Red Plain."

The leader of the very powerful looking robots smiled under his battle mask, emboldened by the much smaller being's courage, "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and I thank you for the hospitality," Optimus turned to his men, coaxing them to give their names non-verbally.

The tall blue one stepped forward giving a little bow of the head, "My name is Red Alert."

"And you can call me Hot Shot," The yellow one who might as well have been a teenager in Transformer years said, jutting a thumb at himself, "Because that's what I am. And I don't take any prisoners."

"Pretty confidant isn't he?" Carlos spoke to the Mini-con, Grindor, who had taken a liking to him. Grindor nodded, giving a happy little beep in return.

**North Country:**

Megatron hadn't expected to land in a pleasant place when he warped to the strange planet he'd never even heard of, but this was ridiculous! He and his men had crashed into some very solid trees, no signs of Autobots anywhere but trillions of organic life as far as the optics could see. He was still trying to remove little green pieces of organic plant life from the grooves and seems along his front.

"Lord Megatron?"

Turning from where he'd been looking at the very hot, unpleasant sun above them, the commander of all Decepticons looked to his second in command with a fairly pissed off look, "What do you want, Starscream?"

Unfazed by the horned mech's temper, the red Seeker said in his usual scratchy monotone, "Me and the others have discovered a formation of caves that would be appropriate for a base. Also," And here Starscream paused, thinking over his words a few times in his head, "Cyclonus has spotted a small group of sentient organics, about thirty in number, three point four miles south of here. Shall we terminate?"

"No," Megatron ordered, resisting the urge to cheer when the stick he'd been nudging about in his shoulder strut finally came free, "We don't want to draw un-necessary attention—"

_"Lord Megatron!"_

The Decepticon leader cringed as Demolisher's voice rattled through his comm. link, "What is it now?!"

"_I'm sorry sir, but there's a strange black and brown organic with a sharp set dentals attacking Cyclonus in the cave we were clearing out!"_

Megatron gave an annoyed snort. Perhaps it would have been better to bring Thrust on this mission? At least he could handle some worthless organic.

**Imagery:**

The thing that made Rad, Carlos and some of the people of the Seven Kingdoms so much like the Transformers, were their abilities. More than a third of the human population could shape shift into a type of animal… Only, much bigger than the average animal. Rad, being a red elk stag the size of a Clydesdale and Carlos being a gazelle about the same size, were enough proof of that. The other two thirds of the populace had special abilities. Like moving things with their minds, seeing the future, shielding themselves and others from people who could see everything, being able to change objects for a short time from one thing to another and very rarely, seeing everything that was and being able to be unseen in all the strings of the future.

Rad and Carlos both had one of these abilities, acquired through years of their families' genetics.

The blond male can move things with his mind and is exceedingly good at it. He even managed to lift Hot Shot into the air and spin him. Freaked the poor mech out pretty bad.

Carlos can, if he ever wants to, change any things' physical appearance for about an hour or two. He tried it on Red Alert to prove a point, making the medic's left laser arm into an actual servo. It was strange and exciting, but Red Alert was actually happy when it changed back.

These gifts had helped the two humans a lot in their difficult lives and they gladly shared them with the Mini-cons they'd awakened. High Wire could basically do what Rad could, but it was hard, especially when the mostly blue Mini-con tried it for the first time, lifting a glass bowl the boys had brought, into the air and setting it in one of the higher holes in their underground base. Grindor had managed to change a wrench twice his size into a big metal ball, sending it through the base on accident.

**Death Masks:**

"What in the Pit is that?!"

Standing at the mouth of the cave the Decepticons had started to clear out, boulders and debris spread out for yards like an explosion had taken place within as proof, stood a black beast with a touch of brown on the end of its tail, a set of sharp teeth displayed for the giants that had tried to steal its home. Under its front paw was one of Cyclonus' rotors, gnawed on and covered in the creature's saliva.

While Demolisher dragged Cyclonus away, the whirly-bird complaining about mistreatment and struggling to get back into the fight he'd been in with the organic for the past few minutes, Megatron raised his hip cannon at what his systems identified as hostile and fired, "Whatever it is, it's not welcome here. Starscream, isn't there something on this planet that can tell us how to get rid of this thing?"

The red Seeker tilted his head to the side, searching the airwaves for that information system he'd discovered shortly after hearing Demolisher call for back-up. The organics at least had some electronics on planet and he could vaguely understand that it was called 'Internet', a source of communications for the very few who could find it. Starscream, luckily, could do exactly that, and thereby searched for what his leader requested.

"Well, according to this 'Internet', it's something called a wolf. But, I might point out that this one is five times bigger than the ones indicated in the information. Perhaps it's a hybrid of sorts?"

"Never mind that," Megatron ordered, growing much angrier as the wolf kept bounding away as he shot his cannon, missing it each time and giving it more room to move around, some of the cave walls collapsing from the cannon's ammo, "Why is it attacking us?!"

"It's protecting its home, sir. They apparently find empty places like this to hide, remain dry and protect their young. There's probably more of them hiding further inside."

As the last of the words left his vocal processors, the wolf gave a low yip and, unexpectedly, looked from the cave, to the Decepticons and lost its threatening disposition. It was as though it had suddenly run out of steam or just thought it pointless to continue when there were four hulking, metal beings and it had only itself. When Megatron didn't attack again, it bolted from the cave and into the woods, not even looking back once, disappearing in the trees and shadows despite its size.

The horned mech looked back over to Starscream, optic ridge rising questioningly.

Starscream held back the urge to shrug, "Or, maybe we just woke it from its recharge cycle?"

**Too Much Animosity:**

Rad's father wasn't the chief of their village, that title belonged to Keller, a whitetail buck that might as well have been the size of a buffalo, but when Mr. White spoke, you listened.

"Rad, I've come to learn that you've been talking to those giants up near the old mines. What is it that they want?"

The teen shuffled under his parent's steely gaze, but did his best to answer, "They're looking for their brethren. And something else, but they haven't told us what just yet. High Wire was going to explain it to me more when we found a few more of his tribe."

The older man's large elk ears folded back a little. As much as he was proud of his son for helping beings not like them, he couldn't shake the feeling something was going to happen. Something dangerous.

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Did you have a vision? Is that why you're asking all these questions lately?" Rad asked, voice lowering in worry at the look his father gave, body language telling him he'd hit the nail right on the head, as his father was no good at hiding things since the teen's mother died. It had gotten to the point that he couldn't tell a lie to save his life and Rad had to basically become his confessor.

The blond man with a few little wisps of grey sighed, eyes closing to arrange his thoughts more clearly, "Yes. But, it's not all to do with your new friends. It has something to do with those other ones that are now in the woods and… that wolf Keller got rid of. The black one with the teal eyes… And that little orange bot that looks like it's looking for someone… I don't know, Rad, just promise me you'll be more careful."

"Of course," Rad confirmed, giving a reassuring smile.

**Learning:**

"Ah, Grindor this is awesome! You look almost just like me, right down to your horns!"

The dark male could not have spoken truer words. Grindor, taking some of his human's energy as High Wire had with Rad just hours before, stood before Carlos in his earth 'vehicle' mode. He was much smaller than Carlos, but indeed the proper anatomy for a gazelle, two long spiral horns atop his sleeked helm, four spindly legs that were perfect and made for speed and a few features on the inside that came naturally to all Mini-cons. His coloring could never be found naturally on this planet, but was still a lovely sight for Carlos who was, himself, in his secondary form.

Carlos stood before Grindor at a size no average gazelle could manage and looked over his friend, pride radiating off of him like a parent or the like. It made the dark Mini-con wish he could give a smile or something, to show his appreciation.

Behind the two, Rad and High Wire looked on in their own secondary forms, the blue Mini-con's disposition saying he was clearly proud of his dear friend being able to overcome the problem they'd been faced with for the last few weeks. High Wire's own horns that unlike Grindor's were thick and tilted back, gleamed in the Autobots base's un-natural lighting, "_You're doing wonderfully, Grindor_!"

"_Thank you, High Wire_," Grindor beeped back, his odd metallic hooves clicking as he shuffled a bit, _"Now… can someone show me how to walk properly_?"

**Expectations:**

"Optimus, sir," Red Alert spoke from behind his commander, who was reading over the blueprints Rad had given him of the caves they now occupied.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Could I have a private word with you about the orange Mini-con?" The medic asked politely, shutting the rusty door behind him and taking the extra seat that the Warp Gate's room had in case someone was expected to watch out for Decepticons. The crueler batch of Transformers hadn't made any sort of move since coming to Earth because a Mini-con signal hadn't activated yet, but they needed to be prepared for anything. Hence the discussion the medic wanted to have with Optimus.

"What about it, is something wrong?" The commander asked, glancing up at the blue mech beside him.

"Well," Red Alert paused briefly, considering his words so as not to seem as worried as he actually was, "Sir, I can't seem to find it today. I woke up out of recharge and it was just… gone. You haven't seen it walking around anywhere on the monitors, have you?"

"No," Optimus replied, moving to check the computers they'd installed the first three nights they'd spent in the caves, looking over the maps of the area and finding a little green blip on the radar, most probably the orange Mini-con that had yet to find a partner, heading for what the Autobots had designated as Decepticon territory. That actually would have worried Optimus and Red Alert both, if they hadn't seen in making the slightest of turns that meant it wasn't looking for their four million year enemies.

"What's it doing all the way out there?" Red Alert asked rhetorically, pushing a couple buttons to see if there were any schematics of the woods the little Mini-con was tromping through, with no regard to its own safety. They didn't know much about the orange Mini-con, it hadn't spoken since being awakened at the same time as Grindor and refused to become any of the Autobot soldiers' partner. It was almost as if it was waiting for someone.

"Maybe it's picked up another Mini-con's location?" Optimus suggested, pointing on the screen at where the little one had seemed to stop for no reason, but not reading anything on the radar to say that his theory was correct. The scanners were picking up something, but neither 'Bot could tell if it was a Mini-con or an organic, the screen actually becoming covered in static just a few yards from the unclaimed Mini-con's location.

"Red Alert," Optimus spoke, finally deciding on a course of action, "Go find Hot Shot and Jolt and give them these co-ordinates. Let's hope the little one isn't in trouble."

**Raining:**

Leader-1 had hoped that he'd at least go into stasis on a planet where he had little chance of being turned into scrap metal upon. This hope, he quickly realized, was dashed the moment he was awakened for some reason from his nice recharge by, of course, his old master. Now, not only had he been sent to this very far away, organic planet for no reason, but he had to get to work or he wouldn't last more than a moment.

Tiny digits digging into the tree that he was strangely happy to find much bigger than his "great leader", the grey Mini-con made his way up the trunk to locate and dislodge the green panel his master's second in command was stilling whining about. The panel was too high up for the ground oriented mechs and Starscream couldn't fly under the canopy so that had left Leader-1, grumbling internally at his life.

'_I will not drop this panel on Megatron's head to make myself feel better, I will not give Megatron a reason to flatten me, I will not complain like that whiney crank shaft of a Seeker…_' Leader-1 chanted from within, his servos finally reaching the panel and beginning the tedious process of removing what would soon be his re-awakened brethren from the solid organic material.

He managed to pry the panel out just enough to get a firm grip on it, below Starscream was still belly-aching about being lied to by his commander about getting the Mini-con. Just as Leader-1 was about to beep down at the red and white mech to just _shut up_, a sound he'd never heard before sounded out from the sky. It was loud and mean and so terrifying that Leader-1 actually managed to pry the panel out through sheer fear of what the noise meant was coming next and _dropped_ the panel…

A millisecond later, turbines accompanied the sound that came from the sky and the Mini-con was fairly certain about what was to come next.

"Yes! Finally I have my very own Mini-con!"

'_Woo-hoo._' Leader-1 thought sarcastically, head leaning on his servo and watched as the Seeker activated the panel. By Primus, they were never going to hear the end of this when they got back to base.

'_Oh well,_' The grey little mech conceded, watching as the newest Decepticon bound Mini-con came into focus, all amped up, red and ready for whatever came his way, '_Is least now there's someone else to talk to_.'

Above, drowning out the sound of Megatron reprimanding his second in command for this pitiful display, came yet another terrifying boom, this one followed by what Leader-1 discovered to be water droplets in large amounts. It drenched him in moments, along with his master, the other mechs and the red Mini-con who sort of revved his engine at the pleasant feeling. Wet, which Megatron hated.

Maybe this organic planet wouldn't be so bad…

**Victim's of Fate:**

Really, Hot Shot had been expecting a nice tour of the valley when Rad had offered to take him out with High Wire. The yellow mech hadn't been disappointed for the most part. He had the opportunity to see the beautiful golden landscape, some trees that looked spindly along the trunk and like wispy green clouds along the bottom, the waterhole that Rad and High Wire splashed around in their elk forms…

But, he hadn't expected to see what the humans had warned him about the week they first met.

Along the lining of the trees, with the shade covering the deer that the blond human Hot Shot had become attached to explained were simple animals with not much mental capacity, the yellow Autobot was witness to a terrifying event. When one of the larger deer, a buck, moved to eat a generous portion of grass, it almost seemed as if one of the shadows beyond the trees lunged out and tackled the buck. It sent High Wire and Rad bounding behind the Autobot as the shadow, which had sharp white teeth, gave the deer a moment to register it was finished and broke its neck.

The rest of the dead animals' herd bolted away leaving a clear view for Hot Shot as the attacker ripped into the dead buck, bone and skin giving away under sharp fangs, blood being lapped up and soon nothing was left behind but the pelt, large bones, the skull and what may have been the stomach. The Autobot had the urge to flinch when the great black creature actually noticed the Cybertronian's presence. Or, the much smaller males near Hot Shot's feet, teal eyes seeming to grow hot at the mere sight of Rad, like a glow from a lamp that flickers with extra power before going back to normal.

The creature didn't make a move for Rad or High Wire, but just sort of vanished into the woods again, one of its legs seeming slower than the rest of it. If Hot Shot didn't know any better, he'd have thought it was injured or something.

When he was sure it was gone Hot Shot turned back down to the smaller males, High Wire sticking closely to Rad and still looking at the dead remains. Rad, on the hand, was giving a sort of melancholy look from the woods and then up to Hot Shot, "Sorry you had to see that, but even predators need to eat something. That one especially, since she only eats every few days."

"What was that?" The soldier asked, finally deciding to move from the area, the two elk walking a little ahead of him. Quite a feat, considering how freakin' small they were.

Rad's explanation had a somber tone to it as he filled in the blanks for the foreigner, "She's a wolf by the name of Alexis. She runs the territory from here to just a little past our tribe. She used to be one of us a long time ago, before she reached maturity and got turned out by Keller."

"Why do you sound like you knew her?" Hot Shot asked, tilting his helm a little, High Wire giving a little beep that the giant assumed was a question as well.

"We…" Rad hesitated a moment, looking for the right words, "Me and Carlos did. We were friends with her since we were babies. It broke our hearts when she had to leave."

**Classification:**

"A dog is a dog, until he or she looks directly at you," Carlos explained, walking cautiously with Grindor along the many underground tunnels of the Autobots' base, avoiding the ones that smelled too much like danger and blood.

Still looking for the Mini-cons that had been activated from within the areas of the tunnels the Autobots couldn't get to, the dark human was more than happy to converse with Grindor about matters the mech had no idea about. So far they'd covered food, territory, fighting, raising of young, protection, pranks to pass the time and now etiquette. Grindor was wondering about the many enemies his new friend seemed to have and what he should do if he ever ran across one of them.

"_Then what do you call a dog?"_ The Mini-con asked, following Carlos down another tunnel, this one seeming brighter for some strange reason.

Carlos thought the answer over a little, "Well, that really depends on what type of dog. If it's from the city and can turn into a human, you call it Mr. or Ms. Dog. If it's one that is simple and stupid and just a pet, you call it by what the owner calls it. If it's a fox, dingo, wild dog, hyena or coyote you look it directly in the eyes and tell it 'hello' and just run." This sentence was followed by him making a motion with his arms to illustrate for effect.

_"What about wolves?"_

Carlos paused for a second, only enough for Grindor to notice and become a little worried he'd said something wrong, but quickly continued walking once more.

"You shouldn't worry about wolves. Wolves only live outside of our borders, and if you ever find yourself confronted by one, you don't look directly at it, you don't say anything to it. You just find some way to get away from it and run for your life, because those types of dogs won't give you a chance to get out alive or play with you, they'll just kill you. Do you understand?" Carlos asked very seriously, taking the time to look at Grindor and be sure that he understood.

Grindor didn't understand. Sureshock said there was a wolf near where the Decepticons were supposed to be stationed, the orange mech had seen it himself and said it would never hurt a Mini-con. Why was Grindor's human so scared of them? He didn't understand, but he didn't want Carlos to worry.

_"Yes, I understand."_

It was a lie of course, Grindor had the feeling his human knew it was lie, but didn't press the matter. A soft smile reappeared on the teen's face and he went onto a more pleasant topic about The City. Grindor was happy for the chance to think about other matters as well, he really didn't want to get Sureshock in trouble if he was intimate with the enemy.

**Catch Me If You Can:**

Oh, this was the worst thing ever. This was bad on so many levels that if the levels had a building attached to them, Optimus would be plummeting right through them to his death. That's how bad this was.

"Well, well, well," Megatron chuckled from across the waterhole, hip cannon aimed with deadly precision at the Autobot commander, "What a surprise to see you alive, Optimus. I'd have thought that little crash landing would have put you into stasis. Hmm, what a shame."

Behind Optimus stood Red Alert and behind the tyrant of all tyrants stood Starscream, both of them with their weapons out in the open and glinting in the sun. The area surrounding them, surprisingly, continued as it had when the Decepticons arrived, animals milling about so they could eat, flies and butterflies floating on the wind or maddening other creatures respectively and Rad, Carlos and the Mini-cons watching on from a safe distance. Optimus hadn't wanted them getting involved in this fight and run, but they wouldn't budge from the tree line, too worried about the giants.

"Megatron," Optimus greeted passively, "I can't allow you to get your servos on the Mini-con here, you know that. I'll have to ask you to leave."

Megatron's wicked smirk seemed to get bigger at the noble Autobot's words, having heard them many times before a few million years ago. Some things never changed.

Walking slowly around the waterhole, Megatron couldn't help his antagonistic words, "Try and make us, Prime."

The next movement happened before the humans could blink. Optimus drew his lone gun and fired, the horned mech jolting just out of range, peds skidding across the ground and leaving a deep indentation and shot off a round from his hip cannon, Starscream behind him made a bee-line for Red Alert. The medic took a step back, out of range from the Seeker's wing sword, the tip just barely missing Red Alert's left shoulder.

Rad and Carlos had the greatest urge to help, but as Optimus had said, they were of better use to run to safety or search out the already activated Mini-con in the woods while the Autobots had the enemy distracted. The two stags chose option B and with a final worried look to their friends, they nudged High Wire and Grindor and moved into the woods, ever watchful for that other Decepticons and their own enemies. High Wire knew the awakened Mini-con, a yellow speedster who was a little unsure of himself despite the fact that he was Optimus' chosen partner. If they were lucky, they'd find Sparkplug before Demolisher or Primus forbid, Cyclonus who would try and either capture every single one of them or blow them away.

'_At least we have our partners_,' High Wire thought, inwardly wishing that Sureshock had come.

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As An Added Bonus, Human Character Profiles & Kingdom Descriptions! If you were paying attention to the drabbles you may not need these, but if it's hard to keep up here's the first set of details on the humans and their abilities in this fic.

Name: Rad White.  
Age: 17.  
Home/Tribe: The Defendit Tribe of Red Plain.  
Second Form: A red elk the size of a Clydesdale with a gold underbelly.  
Ability: Push, aka, the ability to move things with his mind and he's quite good at it.  
Backlash: Sometimes his ability doesn't work at all and leaves him in very awkward situations, like having to lift a five hundred pound boulder off of one of the Autobots with his bare hands. Also, when it does work it can come on too strong and cause accidents.  
Loyalties: His tribe, Carlos, the Autobots and High Wire.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, predators and Henry Masterson from The City.

Name: Carlos Blackhorn.  
Age: 17.  
Tribe/Home: The Defendit Tribe of Red Plain.  
Second Form: A brown and gold Grant's gazelle about the same size as Rad, with little dark brown spots on his ankles.  
Ability: Morph, aka, the ability to change with ease one thing into another.  
Backlash: Whenever he changes something, the change only lasts a _maximum_ of five hours if he really pushes it. Also, this drains a lot of his energy and makes it difficult for him to concentrate on anything other than the object.  
Loyalties: His tribe, Rad, the Autobots, Fred and Billy and Grindor.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Trent, wolves and other predators.

Name: Alexis.  
Age: 17.  
Home: The underground tunnels of Cold Mountain Woods on the edge of Red Plain.  
Second Form: A black wolf with a brown tail, the size of a Percheron mare, with scar marks _everywhere_.  
Ability: Post-cognition, aka, the ability to see things that happened in the past.  
Backlash: With the ability to see the past, this makes her unfortunate in being privy to others' sexual activities and strong feelings, in not being able to see her future via anything, her own energy stays with her forever and she sometimes causes history repeat in the form of injuries, the weather and catastrophes that she has no control over.  
Loyalties: Sureshock, maybe Rad and a few Decepticon Mini-cons.  
Enemies: Decepticons, Autobots, her old tribe, other wolf packs, Keller, other herds, Prometheus Black, etc.

Seven Kingdoms:

Red Plain: Like its name, it is mostly comprised of red earth and is used for farming land near the center of the Equator. Many herbivores retreat there because predators find it very difficult to cross its borders. The very, very few predators that there are were either born within from the generations before the borders were put up or are the result of a fluke between two herbivores.

Cold Mountain: The woods just north of the Red Plain, comprised of thick forests that occasionally snow and tunnels that the Red Plain tribes used to use to mine precious jewels and ore but ceased a hundred or so years ago. Now, mostly coyotes, wild dogs and wolves roam through it.

The City: One of the only places on Earth that actually appreciates technology. It is at the pinnacle of mechanical advancements and urban decay. Most of the residents are political, controversial, freaks, geeks, royalty or strays. This is where the Internet was created and is south of the Red Plain.

White Hills: To the east of the Red Plain, with high hills comprised of weeping willows and perfect for newlyweds looking for a place to start a family. The grounds are rich with nutrients and have various vegetation through the whole of the landscape. When it snows in the winter it's quite befitting of its name.

Gale Fort: West of Red Plain and the perfect place for windy storms with tornados and hurricanes, which is why so few people actually live along this ocean bound site. It is a wonderful place to look for gold and silver, though, so good and hardy breeds of shape shifters do live there for half a season before going back to their summer homes.

Jade Country: A place where it's always spring and where farming is at its richest. It is situated on sloped hills that were cut out of the land thousands of years ago to make it look like the homes and gardens were situated on square blocks and stairs for giants. South-west of Red Plain. The small clustered together cities are covered in green shale and polished stones from the sea shore nearby.

Blaze Gorge: Canyons to the region just north-west of the Red Plain borders. This place has many rivers running through them suitable for fishing and swimming, but some are rather dangerous. Small, nomadic tribes travel along the ravines through the whole of the year with their families. It has a rather large amount of predators around at all times, but most of the tribes people are horse shape shifters which make them formidable at any rate.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'cept a hat full of rain, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Okay, this chapter is a one-shot focusing mostly on Sureshock and Alexis in the beginning with more drabbles to follow. I really only wanted to get this 'Ties' plot bunny out of my head and into the world and add the Dinobots to this for some reason.

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**Ties:**

Sureshock had never been a fan of the underground. When he was on Cybertron he and his gestalt-mates had been used to dig through mines and locate Energon for a few hundred years, so that was partly the reason, but also it was the fact that it was always dangerous going under dirt and stones and one could only guess what else.

Right now, though, he had something important to do.

The orange Mini-con hadn't told anyone he was going out today, he didn't want High Wire asking to follow and possibly cause Sureshock's target to go away, or Grindor with his new fears Carlos had instilled about the beasts of the forest trying to eat them. No, Sureshock wanted to see the beast that had rescued him from Starscream and thank it. But, somewhere in his core processor, he also wanted to ask if he could imprint the creature whom seemed… nice. If only deep down and in a morbid sort of way.

So far, Sureshock's journey into the woods had been uneventful, despite the fact that he was in what the Autobots had clearly discerned to be Decepticon territory. The only thing he ran into was a squirrel, and that fuzzy red rodent had been more interested in the nuts it had been carrying than the pumpkin colored mech. It crossed Sureshock's path, paused, twitched and walked, not ran, back the way it came.

Within the next hour Sureshock located the burrow that he had a feeling led to his target's underground home. It had most likely been a rabbit warren at one time, but now had been enlarged and dug up even more, spreading miles underground. He managed to fit through the opening on his servos and knees and descended into the unknown.

About thirty feet down the entrance tunnel Sureshock was able to stand all the way back up on his peds and walk instead of crawl. Although, that was probably the only good thing he could think of about the lair he'd entered into. As he went further and deeper within, many other tunnels passing by on the way, he walked into the tunnels that were the most worn, paw prints having made the ground smooth, and noted that it was too dark to be safe if he walked into a trap and he kept walking on and crushing small bones that were left along the pathways. Some of the bones actually still had traces of blood on them, right down deep where tongue and teeth couldn't reach it.

When he finally reached warm air and soft light, he paused at what seemed to be an entrance made from tree roots descending from the soil above his head and large, thick stones to keep the entrance from collapsing. Inside, through the tree roots, he could see many animal pelts splayed over the ground, and a sort of groove in the center that was filled with leaves and wild cotton. Within that, Sureshock saw the large black wolf that had helped him chewing on a saliva covered bone.

The wolf had obviously heard the pumpkin colored mech in the tunnels, because it didn't bother to turn around when it spoke to him without speaking out loud, voice echoing only in his mental processors, "**Come in if you want or leave. I don't like being stared at by people I've only met once**."

"_I'm sorry_," Sureshock apologized without realizing it and stepped through the curtain of roots and into what he had now decided was the wolf's personal chamber, "_If I'm intruding I can leave."_

"**Not until you do and say what you came for**."

Suddenly finding himself self-conscious, Sureshock twiddled his digits, looking for the words to say and finding them gone and unlikely to return any time soon. The wolf stopped chewing on the bone and turned to him, eyes of teal full of patience when last time they were filled with worry and anger. It seemed to set him at ease.

"_I… just wanted to thank you for saving me from Starscream. I would have been in real trouble if that 'Con had caught me_."

The wolf seemed to smile at the smaller being's words, but it was hard to tell considering a snarl on its face and a smile were eerily similar with those sharp teeth showing, "**You're welcome, but that's not all, is it? You wanted to ask me for something. What can I do for you?"**

Maybe it was just a glitch in Sureshock's optics, but it seemed that the black beast's eyes started to glow at that, only to dim as he seemed to find enough courage to make his request, "_I and my brothers are in need of allies on this planet and they have already found humans to scan and name 'friend' and 'partner'. I haven't and refuse to become a pawn to the giants that have come for the rest of us Mini-cons. So, I was wondering if you'd let me scan you?"_

If the animal was confused at the strange words that spilled from the orange mech, it didn't show it. On the contrary, it seemed to understand every word spoken and considered over them carefully within. Sureshock hoped he hadn't over-stepped the unspoken boundaries these Earth beings had, he didn't want to offend the wolf and be rejected so quickly. This being was the first that he thought was worth the time to get to know. Don't get him wrong, he adored and thought of his gestalt-mates as brothers, the Autobots weren't entirely boring and the humans were tolerable, but…. Until he found his own partner, there would be a massive gap in his psyche.

"**I didn't get your name when we last met**," The creature's mind voiced in what Sureshock was coming to consider an Earth form of comm. link.

"_Oh, my designation is Sureshock."_

"**Mm, that's a pretty name**," The wolf commented offhandedly, "**My name is Alexis. But then, you already knew that."**

Sureshock nodded. Carlos had mentioned that this creature was female and very dangerous, but only Rad had given her name, like it was the polite thing to do, despite the things the tribe's people said about her. Sureshock didn't mind that she might possibly be more dangerous than Megatron, he just liked her for what she'd done for him. She couldn't be as bad as everyone said.

She moved from her lying down position and gave him another look, this one questioning and unsure, but began to do what was needed anyway. Like Sureshock had seen Rad and Carlos and their other clan members do many times, the wolf's body began to shift, reshape and then finally formed into her human form, complete, like other human's in this area, with her animal form's ears and tail. Her furry appendages were black atop her head and ripped very badly in ways that had most likely hurt and her tail was black with brown on the end that looked as if it had been dipped in mud like a paint brush. Also like the boys, her pelt became her clothing, hers something of a cloak that wrapped around her and was black as her fur had been. She was the prettiest thing he'd seen in a long time, despite all the scars and burns that he could see and even those he couldn't.

Showing this small mech her human form was a tremendous sign of trust, because after all, she couldn't show it to any other person anymore. Not after being banished into exile. Showing her human self would likely get her killed, so she was basically saying yes to Sureshock's request.

The mech understood completely. He held out his right servo, pointer digit extended and waited for the Earth female to do the same.

Her ears told of her hesitation, both folding back once, then twice before the right one lifted completely upwards to make her look absolutely adorable and extended her own hand, still sporting scratches, and her pointer finger, a long black claw curving an inch outwards like her second form. Within a second, both beings connected and exchanged information as well as abilities, Sureshock receiving an alt-mode and a small tremor by the end of the exchange, not exactly painful, but not pleasant, just as he'd expected.

Once their digits disconnected and in far less time than it had taken to change into a human, Alexis was back in her wolf form, an almost pleased look crossing her features as Sureshock finally had an alt-mode for himself. He did a little flip in the air and landed in a form the size of an actual wolf with all the physical features to go along with it, minus the jaws with dentals. He had a snout of course, but no opening, rather like his biped form. That didn't matter much though, he had sets of nice, sharp claws, absolutely perfect for fighting Decepticons and a slim body for running.

Just as he had wanted since he woke up from stasis.

**Cousins?:**

"Me Grimlock want to see Blue Docbot!"

Holding his head in his servos, Optimus tried very hard to just shut the door to their base and run away screaming. He had not wanted the Dinobots on Earth this soon, he hadn't even told them he and his most trusted were going to Earth. These experiments of his top scientist Perceptor had always wanted to see the planet that their forms were based on, and the Prime could understand that, but by Primus, he did not want to deal with them without Perceptor around to rope them in if they went rampant. Red Alert, admittedly, was rather good with dealing with the three very large mechs, so maybe Optimus should just go and get the mech?

"Come in and please don't chase the Mini-cons," The semi said, opening the hanger door much wider, but Grimlock still had to crouch low with his massive head, Swoop going in just after with plenty of room for his wings and Snarl having to switch into bot-mode because his shoulders and head couldn't get through the door.

Walking carefully through the tunnels, Optimus walked into the rec. room and motioned for the Dinobots to stay there while he got Red Alert. All three of them did as asked, though Grimlock wished to follow the Autobot leader and look around a bit more.

They didn't have to wait long to find something of interest, though. Or, rather, the interest came to them. Rad and Carlos in shifted form with High Wire and Grindor in alt mode walked in, talking about the race they'd just finished. Rad and Grindor had won, their partners coming in right after, from the tribe main well all the way to the Autobot base, and were so caught up in bragging that they didn't even notice the new 'Bots until Swoop leaned down and High Wire bumped into the pterodactyl's beak.

"Oooh," Grimlock spoke as High Wire practically did a back flip and hid behind Rad, Grindor doing the same with Carlos, "Tiny Dinobots? Me Grimlock like!"

"Dinobots?" Carlos questioned, head tilting at the sight of the mammal-like Cybertronians, Rad shugging his shoulders and identifying the beings as Autobots since they'd not tried to eat them. High Wire seemed to register the name of the commanding Dinobot and gave a series of beeps their way, "_You're from Perceptor's unit, aren't you?"_

"Oh, you not Dinobots," Grimlock realized, almost sad, "You Mini-cons."

**Natural Alignment:**

"Blitzwing, get this creature off of me!"

Thick metallic claws dug into Lugnut's one optic, leaving an unfortunate set of scratch marks that screwed up his vision. If the large 'Con had even considered that this wretched Mini-con would react in such a hostile fashion he'd have never made to pick it up. For his absent-minded mistake, Lugnut was paying dearly, the orange Mini-con now gripping his optic shutter and bending it rather painfully as Blitzwing tried to pry the Mini-con away.

"Honestly, vhat did you do to make zhis zhing so mad?" The triplechanger's Icy persona asked, servos tightening around the orange mech's midsection and finally making it let go of his comrade. Lugnut immediately clutched his face when it was released, but then the orange mech turned in Blitzwing's servos and its tail started smashing against the larger Cybertronians' digits, its claws also kneading inside the now angry mech's palm. It really, really hurt, to say the least.

"You little pest! If you don't stop zis now, I'm going to frag your hard drive so badly you'll end up as nothing but a can opener!" Blitzwing ordered, shaking the Mini-con to get his point across, even as his Hothead persona's face did that nicely anyhow.

_"My name is Sureshock and if you don't put me down right this second,"_ The Mini-con beeped, struggling even more, _"You're going to hurt even more than your imbecilic friend over there_!"

The triplechanger seemed taken aback for a blink, but the reaction was quick as his Random face appeared in all its creepy, chipper glory, "Ooh, this one has real spark! Can I keep it, can I?"

_"No!"_ Sureshock practically screamed in irritation as well as panic.

**Eye On Fire:**

"You are not the leader of this mark, am I. You are not leading this attack, I am," Fanzone said in that hard voice he only had when he was making a point to the tenderfoot that was made to be his new partner.

The teenaged Golden Retriever standing before the old Collie shuffled on his paws, ears tilted back in submission. Not exactly what the City captain of Alphabet row had hoped to accomplish, but affective anyway. Witwicky never listened unless he was being ridiculed, a fact Fanzone had to learn the hard way.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's just," Sam started, looking over the barricade of rusted out cars to their suspect, Henry Masterson, still visible through the broken windows of the building he'd sealed himself up within, "There must be a better way to get that idiot out without putting Mikaela and Billy in harm's way."

Fanzone loosened his stance just enough to stop Witwicky from fearing a smack to the head, but still looked adamant about his decision, "Sam, they're both experienced in these matters. Billy can see what will happen if either of them make a mistake and change their action immediately and Mikaela can take that moron down with one hand tied behind her back. You worry too much, kid."

The teen sighed and looked to where his teammates were scuttling along the wall of the building, Masterson barking out demands to the negotiator at ground level. Sam really wanted to believe his captain, he really did. He just couldn't help the worry. Masterson, the stupid flea-bag, was known through the whole of The City to be a loose cannon with mental problems that had a hair-trigger when it came to the Guard. That, and Isaac Sumdac, but that for now really wasn't their problem, it was the Healer the lunatic had captured for his boss man. None of the Guard wanted the Red Plain male to perish, he was far too valuable to them.

"And they're off," Fanzone spoke, watching Billy go in first, his ruffled ears folded back as he entered through the hole in the brick wall, Mikaela close behind and smiling. Girl loved her parties.

**Where There's Smoke…:**

"Bumblebee, if that's who I think it is, your head is going to be rolling for miles."

The compact Autobot couldn't help but lower his head submissively at the Prime's warning and tried to hide the little brown kitten behind his back, but it proved to be a lost cause as the more senior humans on base kept waving at her from the floor, the Mini-cons copying the action.

"Hey, aren't you Isaac Sumdac's kit?" The Spaniard of the small organic group asked, the little kitten jumping from the Autobots' palms and into Carlos' arms. Fully revealed, Sari looked up at Optimus and gave the cutest smile up at the giant, "Yep! And you guys are the Autobots and Mini-cons, right?"

"And stags," Rad put in, "How did you get all the way here from our tribe's territory?"

The little kitten transformed from her fluffy, nine-lived form and into her peppy little self, reluctant to answer, but hoping that co-operation would allow her to stay in the Autobots' base a little longer, "Sureshock gave me a ride until he ran into Bumblebee and disappeared. I've been with Bee for the last hour looking around all these awesome tunnels. How far underground are we, anyway?"

"A mile, give or take a cave-in or two," The Autobot commander answered, bending over Bumblebee with the first glare the yellow mech had ever seen upon his visage. It spelled his doom, one could bet on that.

"Cool! Can I and Bee look around a little more, please, please, please?" The red haired female asked, clasping her hands together in the only form of begging a feline could pull off, hands clasped together and eyes shining in the false light of the base. Rad and Carlos both suddenly had the urge to cover their eyes, lest they go blind.

=======-------=======-------=======-------=======-------=======-------=======-------=======-------=====

Bonus: More character profiles.

Name: Sam Witwicky.  
Age: 17.  
Home: The City.  
Second Form: Golden Retriever with brown fur on the chest.  
Ability: Just the shape shift, that's all.  
Backlash: He won't get much bigger than a tiger.  
Loyalties/Family: Mikaela, Fanzone, Billy, Wasp, Ron Witwicky, Judy Witwicky, the Autobots.  
Enemies: Barricade, Trent, the Decepticons.

Name: Mikaela.  
Age: 16.  
Home: The City.  
Second Form: A red and brown Husky with a little something else mixed in, the size of a lioness.  
Ability: Just shape shifting, but she has wonderful fighting abilities and is quite the runner.  
Backlash: Thanks to her fighting styles, she's become quite the attraction to the aggressive.  
Loyalties/Family: Sam, the Autobots, her dad, Fanzone, Red Alert.  
Enemies: Trent, the Decepticons, Prometheus Black.

Name: Sari Sumdac.  
Age: 9.  
Home: The City.  
Second Form: A little brown kitten with red ears, very sleek.  
Ability: She's a healer of organic and machines and is very good at it completely healing machines.  
Backlash: Her ability makes her a target for enemies of her father and the Decepticons.  
Loyalties/Family: Isaac Sumdac, Bumblebee, the Autobots, Sureshock, Alexis.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Prometheus Black, Henry Masterson.

Name: Captain Carmine Fanzone.  
Age: Mid-40's.  
Home: The City.  
Ability: Shape shifting and the Push. Fairly strong, despite his age.  
Second Form: A dirty blond Collie the size of a Bison.  
Backlash: Nothing except that his bones become inflamed when using the Push.  
Loyalties/Family: The Guard, Sam, Ron Witwicky, Banacheck, Simmons.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, Lord Galloway, etc.

Name: Billy.  
Age: 17.  
Home: The City, but originally of Red Plain.  
Second Form: Technically, he doesn't have one, he just has dog ears and tail as a result of genetics.  
Ability: Sentry. One who can see the future, despite that it's so difficult.  
Backlash: His gift doesn't work at all when it comes to post-cogs and he gets a lot of head-aches.  
Loyalties/Family: Fred, the Guard, Carlos, Rad, Sam, Cliffjumper.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, Barricade, Frenzy, Trent.

Names: Grimlock, Swoop, Snarl.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Cybertron or Earth.  
Second Forms: Everyone already knows, I'm not going through trying to spell the actual names.  
Loyalties/Family: Each other, the Autobots, the Red Plain humans, Mini-cons, Red Alert, Perceptor.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Prometheus Black.

Name: Blackarachnia.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Earth for the time being.  
Second Form: A giant spider.  
Loyalties/Family: Wheeljack, Starscream, Demolisher, Sureshock, maybe Alexis.  
Enemies: The Autobots, Optimus, etc.

Name: Jazz.  
Series Basis: '07 movie.  
Home: Cybertron and Earth.  
Second Form: A Datsun.  
Loyalties/Family: Prowl, Epps, the Autobots, Hot Shot, Rad, Maggie.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Shockwave, etc.

Name: Wreck-Gar.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Earth.  
Second Form: A giant freaking kitten and a garbage truck.  
Loyalties/Family: Sureshock, Lugnut, the Autobots, Alexis, the Mini-cons.  
Enemies: None that make any real difference.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' at all!

I thank all who reviewed and loved the suggestions. Thank you, thank you!

Okay, from here on out, each chapter will mainly focus on one human character at a time, plus the Autobots/Decepticons, so their characters are properly explained.

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**Nummy-Nummy-Num:**

"**Ohhh, Nummy pink webbing, soft pink webbing, Miss Arachnid lives nearby! Tasty webs, Making breakfast Scrumptious, Yummy tasting webs! Blackarachnia webs, num, num, num…"**

While it was very true that the sight before the Decepticons was disturbing on so many levels as to induce panic, it was also true that the mechs thought that the display was awesome. Blackarachnia simply stood at the back of the cave, watched what that gross organic was doing to the webs the spider lady had set up around base, and tried not to vomit.

Sure, Megatron was tired of the wolf scurrying around inside the lair and at the time it seemed more likely for Blackarachnia's webs to serve as the perfect deterrent, but the results were less than hoped for. At the moment, Alexis, the horrible black wolf that had been causing the Decepticons nothing but grief, was actually _eating_ the pink and purple webbing like some special treat and… singing.

"What exactly," Starscream questioned the only femme on Earth, "Do you put in that stuff?"

"I don't _know_," Blackarachnia answered, flinching as Alexis moved over to the webs near the throne, making little slurping noises, "I don't _**know**_! All I know is that it serves a purpose, I can bring it out whenever I need it and it's sticky. I didn't think she would react like this."

_"No slag!"_ Sureshock spoke up from beside Swindle, both trying their best to keep the obviously endorphin riddled wolf from eating too much. Who knew if it was toxic and her body was reacting well to it, or it was making her go insane? Either way, they were keeping her from searching all of the tunnels for the webs. If they _could_, anyway…

**Safe and Unguarded:**

_"Is it really safe to be here without one of the Autobots?"_

Sureshock gave another growl that Sparkplug now associated with the orange mech's alt mode, another sign that the yellow racer should just shut up and follow like they'd agreed on when they'd snuck out that morning, _"If you're having doubts, you're free to turn around and go back to Prime."_

"No! It's just," Sparkplug paused a moment as one of the smaller branches the Mini-con in front of him pushed out of the way came swinging back at the younger mech's face_, "Leader-1 and Swindle aren't exactly known for getting along with enemy Mini-cons."_

"Today we're not enemies," Sureshock corrected, helping Sparkplug over a moss covered rock, _"Today we're a neutral party learning the perks of tracking and hunting like Predators. You never know when you'll be alone and unprotected by your partner. That's why Alexis agreed to meet us, now hurry up before she leaves to go hunting."_

"That's another thing," Sparkplug said nervously_, "She's a wolf? Don't they, you know, eat anything? Including the humans on base and, maybe, us?"_

"Yes, Sparkplug, she's a wolf, but she won't eat you. She's my partner and anyway," Sureshock added sagely, _"She doesn't eat the sentient, the helpless or cowards. It's too easy and most unbecoming of a lady."_

_"She's a lady?"_ A voice suddenly asked from above, catching Sparkplug off guard and causing his senses to go on the hyper alert. Both mechs looked up to the tree branches above and saw the out-line of two figures, one mostly red and swinging his legs to and fro like a sparkling and one that was mostly grey and white, with a yellow optic band and a rather gloomy disposition.

Swindle and Leader-1.

_"Yes, she is,"_ Sureshock answered the more rhetorical question of Swindle, continuing on with a pull on his partner's servo to get him moving from his immobility, the two above following in the trees, the branches they leapt from shaking free leaves every now and again. Some of the organic debris landed on Sparkplug's head and left him a little annoyed when Leader-1 tossed him an amused look.

**Mr. Freeze:**

"Okay, I know what you're thinking, but really, it's not that bad."

"I'll believe that when Jazz and Mr. Sumdac don't inform Banacheck about this."

Simmons slouched noticeably as Maggie's deadpan gave cause for the Autobot and the Professor both to send the black haired male another set of dirty looks. It took Simmons five hours to call his female partner and now he was hesitating to get them the help the really needed. Unbelievable.

"Do we really need his help with this?" Simmons tried once more, pulling out the flame thrower again, a devious if not puppy dog-esque look on his face, completely ignoring how the Autobot and human flinched at the sight, sending their own pleadings of salvation to the blond female. She had her own look of high disturbance on her features and stomped her high heeled foot on the ice holding the professor and music lover in place, "Yes, Simmons! We _do_ need Tom and will you put that away?! The last thing we need in another lawsuit because of that weapon of mass destruction!"

Simmons rolled his eyes, but complied, though begrudgingly and put the flame thrower on the nearby table he'd pulled into the lab to hold all the other things he'd used while trying to set his accidental hostages free. The table was covered in saws, nails, hammers, jack-hammers, hot water compressors and what Maggie could identify as gunpowder.

_'Thank God he called me or he might face homicide charges instead of a lawsuit…'_

**Under the Deep and Starry Sky:**

Optics, that most thought should have been red and not blue, stared through the foliage at the target. Frenzy, in his Earth alt mode, crept through the darkness as Barricade had so rudely ordered and proceeded to record the way to the wolf's home. This was actually a little fun, with this feline (creepy as it was) form, he was hard to see and if the animal heard him, he could be out of sight in an instant. Perfect for a stealth operation!

_'Oooh, Barribarri will b-be so pleased!'_ Frenzy thought wickedly, the end of his thin tail twitching with excitement.

The wolf paused from her course, paw stopping before it hit the ground and both of her ears turned backwards. Bad sign.

The little silver crack-bot crouched to the ground, optics dimming almost completely, but it was too late. The wolf turned her head and looked directly at him, tail and back fur raising menacingly and a growl befitting a Decepticon leaving her throat, **"What do you want, you little insect?"**

Caught and completely unsure of what he was supposed to do in a situation such as this, Frenzy decided to cut his losses.

The psycho exoskeleton transformed and gave a little scream as the much bigger creature roared and charged, tufts of dirt being dug up when her claws hit the ground and she sprinted after the tiny Transformer. Frenzy made a leap under a tree branch, skidded and then looked back. Only to scream again as the beast's teeth almost snapped his head off of his shoulders, giving all the more reason to run faster. Why didn't he listen to Swindle when he said not to mess with something that had apparently ripped off a piece of Cyclonus?!

**Shigger in the Gas Tank:**

"Prowl, when are we gonna get to Earth?"

The extremely mellow Autobot turned from the controls of the dinky little Autobot ship he and Bulkhead were travelling in and over to his large green friend. Despite Bulkhead being the kindest 'Bot he'd met in a very long time, Prowl after found his patience waning when the colossus got bored and started asking inane questions. Much like a creator when its sparkling was travelling with it for a long period of time with the constant barrage of, "Are we there yet?"

"If my calculations are correct, we should be on planet in another twelve hours," Prowl answered, "Though, there's no way to measure the time lost when the engine went out, so I could be wrong and it will take a full terra day."

Bulkhead cycled his vents and slouched over the controls he was monitoring. He'd never been to an organic planet before and was really anxious to get to see one up close and personal. That, and hang out with Bumblebee again. If the little menace was still online, that is, he had most likely gotten into some mishap by now. Or gotten a Mini-con, but was there really any difference?

**What Appears to Be is Not:**

"You're not going to kill me?" Sam asked, still on the ground, one of his ears cuffed and bleeding but still holding up his left hand defensively. Just in case Alexis changed her mind about the situation.

The slightly older canine gave a snort and rolled her eyes as though the question was rhetorical or just plain stupid. Why was it that everyone she met thought that she was going to maim, torture, eat or kill them?

Sureshock rubbed Alexis' shoulder reassuringly, his optics formed into half moons in what many had come to identify as amusement. It was really the closest thing that could pass for smiling when a Mini-con had no mouth and it freaked the teen out just a little bit. Sari said that he could trust these two, as had Mikaela, but the way he was raised dictated that he approached all Predators, especially wolves and lions, with extreme caution.

"Okay, then," The Guard-in-training said, lifting off the ground and onto his feet, "Then, uh, why are you here?"

_"Your boss sent us,"_ Sureshock answered, finally pulling the letter from the Captain out of his subspace pocket and handing it to Sam in a rather business-like fashion, _"He wants you to get to Red Plain as quickly as possible with Mikaela, Billy and Professor Sumdac. We're to be your guides."_

Reading the paper thrice over, Sam looked back up at the two figures, one a dark-ass outcast and one a straight-forward mech that High Wire had recommended Sam spend some time with to up his skills. It would have been so hilarious if he'd been with Miles or Billy, but at the moment it was just scary. He had only just joined the Guard and now he had to follow an alien robot and a "doe" Billy had described as unstable and a consort to the Dark Side….

It really wasn't fair.

**There's the Truth:**

"The only thing I really want to know is why you didn't fight for me?"

Rad suddenly felt as guilty as the day Alexis had been trampled and forcefully removed from the village. Like a huge weight had suddenly dropped onto his chest and shoulders and he couldn't breathe to save his life. How could he tell one of his best friends that he didn't fight because he was afraid she may do just as Keller had said and eat him in his sleep?

"I… I was afraid Keller was right about you." The blond answered as truthfully as he could with those suddenly burning teal eyes staring at him.

"That's what I thought," Alexis scoffed, her form hunching over her knees, some of the scars widening as an effect, "Figures that bastard would ruin my life like this and nobody would stop him. Not even you."

Rad flinched at that. She spoke the truth though, so he wouldn't give her a hard time about it. Really, he had expected a bit more emotion, but with the way the years had worn her down, it was a wonder she still felt anything towards them at all.

"For what it's worth, I wish you could come back. I wish you weren't hurting this bad and that Carlos would stop hating you for what you are," Rad confessed, "And I'm really sorry that everyone keeps trying to kill you. You don't deserve it."

"No shit," She said viciously, but with a small smile at the much taller being. If anything good came from only knowing the past, it was being able to read others and know when they were being sincere. Being honest was Rad to a 'T'. How could she hate him for that?

**Beautiful:**

A dark red figure crossed through holes and openings in the roots of trees, an orange figure following close behind as they both watched out for the taller beings that could catch them if they came looking. They really didn't want this to end. They hadn't been out of their respective bases in a week and had gotten restless.

_"So,"_ Swindle began, looking behind and to Sureshock as the pumpkin mech, in alt mode, was struggling out from under a part in the trees' roots he'd thought to have been much wider,_ "What are we going to do today?"_

Sureshock looked at Swindle in his own alt mode, a wolf just as Sureshock was, and thought about how he could explain the crazy idea he'd thought up that morning.

_"Um, well, you know that river in Alexis' territory with the rock over-hang of the waterfall peeking out at it like a cave?"_

"…Yeah."

"Well, I was thinking we could go swimming… after we jump off of the over-hang." Sureshock said, almost hopefully, metal tail perked up along with the audio shells that served as ears in his current form to make him look as cute as possible before Swindle out-right rejected the idea on the whole.

The red Decepticon allied mech's own audio shells folded back and his form seemed to slouch. Why did he have to become friends with this whack-job Mini-con? He was practically an adrenaline junky and always risking their lives…

But, then again, that's maybe why Swindle liked him.

**A Hunting Party:**

Rad couldn't believe what he was hearing. While it was said that not all of the rumors surrounding Prometheus Black were exaggerations, this one couldn't possibly be all true. Not in The City with the Guard watching for any sign of mischief or murder.

"I don't understand this," Rad said once more, eyes following Maggie as she tried to bash down the cell door with her shoulder, "Black and Masterson are going to kill us?"

"Sacrifice us," The tall blond woman corrected, turning back the seven feet to the far wall to gain momentum before her shoulder hit the steel door once again, "Which is… I don't know, classier, I guess."

"But why us? And why Jazz and High Wire? We never did anything to them!"

"Prometheus is convinced that the Transformers will ruin his work," Maggie explained, finally giving up when she saw that her own form was suffering more damage than anything, "Jazz and High Wire were easy targets because they were with us, that's all."

Rad's large ears leaned back, the thought of his now very dear friend in danger all because of him weighing down on his conscience. He had brought the blue mech with him because he'd thought he'd like to see something similar to his own world, so it was really his own fault the Mini-con was now in a cell one floor below them, in electric restraints awaiting a cruel death along with the music lover of the Earth Transformers.

"Why sacrifice us, though?"

The woman scratched her head, trying to think of a way to explain what they'd gotten themselves into. There really wasn't anything simple about this situation, not with those two psycho flea-bags involved with Galloway, the sadistic son of a whore.

"Those two want to sacrifice us because Galloway heard from a Sear that you're to help the Autobots end the war with the Decepticons, which is something that whack-job doesn't want."

"And… you?"

Maggie shrugged, her blue silk shawl ruffling as she did so, "Collateral damage. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'm sorry," Rad sighed, holding his head in his hands mournfully.

**Warp of Snow and Woof of Flame- The Last Unicorn:**

"Ironhide," Optimus said patiently, "Please lower your weapons and let Sureshock and Alexis go."

Despite Optimus' always gentle yet commanding voice asking nicely, the black Topkick kept his large arm cannons aimed steadily on the wolf who dared come near Annabelle and the Mini-con brazen enough to defend the creature three times its size against the Autobots' foremost weapons expert. If Sureshock had dentals in that scrawny alt mode, they would have been bared and flashing at Ironhide threateningly. Though, as he had no dentals, he settled for the closest thing a Mini-con could come to a growl, a sort of echoed rumbling in his vocal processors.

"Ironhide," Optimus said once more, laying a servo on his old friend's shoulder.

"The little glitch was going to eat Lennox's sparkling, why shouldn't I blow her to pieces?" Ironhide asked, almost accusingly, shifting his shoulder struts away from his commander's contact. Optimus was interfering in the black mech's own problem and regardless of his rank Ironhide wasn't going to let this go. Not when Annabelle, that tiny little foal that he'd grown so fond of, could have been eaten not ten minutes ago.

Alexis actually reacted to that statement, scruff and tail rising in aggression, "I would never do such a thing to a child! And anyway, I was thirty feet away, just trying to get a drink and some fish!"

_"That's right!"_ Sureshock added as he backed up to stand next to Alexis instead of before, seeing as Ironhide's cannons had finally lowered, as though the larger Transformer was actually thinking this out.

** Jump, Hang On and Hope For a Parachute:**

"Uh, Megatron, sir, wouldn't it be better if someone _else_ carried me?"

The horned Decepticon lord looked back at Demolisher in tremendous annoyance and at Lugnut in mild disturbance. He didn't have time to coddle the smaller tank, right now they had a Mini-con to find in this white covered region of Earth and very little time before the Autobots came rushing up the hills to rescue the little up-grade. Megatron did not have any patience and one of his most loyal followers was questioning a direct order. Not good for Demolisher.

Megatron's hip cannon raised, fired and hit Demolisher's side just enough to leave a long gash and get his point across without injuring the 'Con. The warlord could put more dents in Demolisher later, but right now he needed him to just do his job.

"Go and get the Mini-con!" Megatron hissed, all fury and dominance showing in his frame as Demolisher gave a swift salute and jumped onto Lugnut's back, the purple flyer leaping off the cliff they stood upon and transforming before the cannon attached to Megatron fired any more shots their way.

=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====  
Bonus: More character profiles, on humans and Transformers that need clearing up.

Name: Maggie.  
Age: Mid-20's.  
Home: The City, though originally of White Hills.  
Second Form: None. She's fully human.  
Ability: Trace. She can find anyone in the world with something that belongs to them.  
Backlash: None really.  
Loyalties/Family: The Guard, Banacheck, Simmons, Jazz, Fanzone.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, Henry Masterson.

Name: Reggie Simmons.  
Age: 30's-40's.  
Home: The City, though originally of Gale Fort.  
Second Form: A black hound the size of a motorbike.  
Ability: Shapeshifting. That's it.  
Backlash: None.  
Loyalties/Family: Banacheck, Fanzone, possibly Bluestreak.  
Enemies: Too many to count.

Name: Tom Banacheck.  
Age: Late 40's.  
Home: The City, but originally from Gale Fort.  
Second Form: A dark brown Weimaraner the same size as Simmons.  
Ability: Eraser. The ability to make people forget anything or everything.  
Backlash: This makes him somewhat self-loathing.  
Loyalties/Family: Simmons, Maggie, Fanzone, Lennox, the Guard, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators and some small time low-lives.

Name: Will Lennox.  
Age: Mid-20's-30's.  
Home: Blaze Gorge.  
Second Form: A golden stallion the size of a buffalo.  
Ability: None. Just the shapeshifting.  
Backlash: None.  
Loyalties/Family: Epps, Banacheck, Sam, his wife Sarah, his daughter Annabelle, Keller, Rad, the Autobots, Ironhide and Scavenger.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, etc.

Name: Epps.  
Age: Mid-20's to 30's.  
Home: Blaze Gorge.  
Second Form: An ebony black stallion the same size as Lennox.  
Ability: Echo. The ability to raise his voice to the highest pitch possible so that it can screw up others' balance and hearing.  
Backlash: Lots of sore throats.  
Loyalties/Family: The Lennox family, their herd, the Autobots, Jazz, Rad, Carlos.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, Blackout, etc.

Name: Fred.  
Age: 16.  
Home: The City, but originally from Red Plain.  
Second Form: None, but he has a set of curled horns thanks to his genetics.  
Ability: Healer.  
Backlash: It drains his energy levels closer to the evening.  
Loyalties/Family: Billy, Rad, Carlos, Sari, Sumdac, Leader-1.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators, Henry Masterson, Prometheus Black.

Name: Lord Galloway.  
Age: mid-40's to 50's.  
Home: Jade Country and Blaze Gorge. His summer and winter homes respectively.  
Second Form: A lion the size of an elephant.  
Ability: Scream. Similar to the Echo, only highly unstable and dangerous.  
Backlash: None.  
Loyalties/Family: His very prominent Predator clan, Prometheus Black, the occasional Decepticon.  
Enemies: The Guard, the Autobots, Alexis.

Name: Sentinel Prime.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Cyberton.  
Second Form: A plow truck.  
Loyalties/Family: Optimus, the Elite Guard, Jazz, other Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Blackarachnia, all organics because he hates them.

Name: Blitzwing.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Cybertron, or aboard the Nemesis.  
Second Form: A jet and a tank.  
Loyalties/Family: The Decepticons, Lugnut, Frenzy, Cyclonus.  
Enemies: The Autobots, Sureshock, some humans, etc.

Name: Lugnut.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Cyberton.  
Second Form: A carrier jet.  
Loyalties/Family: Megatron (duh), Blitzwing, Wreck-Gar, the Decepticons, Demolisher.  
Enemies: The Autobots, Sureshock, the humans, etc.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own anythin' but a hat full of rain.

This chapter, ladies and gents will have a few more Autobots and Decepticons in action, along with the Mini-cons I feel don't have enough attention focused on them.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

**Lightning Bugs:**

Blue optics mirrored similar blue optics as Hot Shot stood before his brother with a stern look upon his features. He had asked, he had **told** the much shorter mech not to follow him to Earth and he couldn't do that because he was _worried_. The idiot.

"Give me one very good reason why I shouldn't send you back to Cybertron in a pod this second," Hot Short ordered, all his years of being the care-free, thoughtful older sibling flying out the proverbial window as it seemed as though horns were growing from his shadow on the tunnel's walls.

Bumblebee shifted from ped to ped under the taller mech's sight, but, reluctantly, from behind his back he pulled out a new and glowing Mini-con panel. The one he'd gotten from Sari when he'd crash landed just beyond the gates of The City as an offer of friendship. Maybe it would keep Hot Shot from screaming at him?

Hot Shot stared at the panel for a second or two, still maintaining his air of hostility but letting it soften to a degree. Jolt, on his shoulder, beeped happily at the new, soon to be awakened arrival to the base, the chirpy little sound breaking the dark mood and allowing Hot Shot to look back up at his brother. Poor Bumblebee was probably sorry about disobeying his sibling and he most likely had a good reason for following, but Hot Shot couldn't very well let him off the hook without doing something. Nothing too cruel, but something.

With a cycling of his air vents, Hot Shot took the panel and gave Bumblebee a little pat on the head, a devilish smirk scrawling over his lips, "Alright. You can stay, but first, you have to find the humans and clear out your own room. We weren't expecting anyone this soon, so you'll have to clean out the rubble, re-furnish it yourself and ask Rad and Carlos where to start digging. Okay?"

Despite the still half-hard "orders" Bumblebee practically launched himself onto his brother, repeating thanks over and over and clinging to Hot Shot's neck and shoulder struts like he was still a sparkling. Jolt flew off with the panel and allowed Hot Shot to try and remove the bug without any probability of damage to the Mini-con or either brother.

**Heroes Fall, Heroes Break, Heroes Bleed- Mouse Guard:**

"It's astounding," Red Alert repeated for what Optimus had counted to be the third time that hour, watching High Wire stitch up his blond human in a sort of morbid fascination, "A full blow by Starscream should have killed him, and yet there is little blood and only a broken arm. Amazing."

"It is," The leader of the Autobots agreed, "But, let's keep a better optic on them the next time they come with us. They are capable of taking care of themselves, but I don't want them getting hurt again anytime in the near future."

"I agree." And he really did. Though the humans of the Red Plain had thus far proven to be tough as nails, they were still tiny organics and the medic was certain that the next time Rad or Carlos came into contact with any of the 'Cons again, the darker side of the Tranformers coin would try much harder to injure or even kill the teens. Red Alert had nearly had a meltdown when he'd seen the stag limping badly and High Wire making strangled beeps that seemed like nails on a chalk board.

Speaking of the little blue deer impersonator…

"High Wire," Red Alert spoke, bending down to become near level with the medical berth the two smaller beings were on so as not to seem intimidating, "That was a very brave thing you did today. In all the excitement, I forgot to thank you for carrying Rad all the way here and getting those herbs for me. So, thank you."

_"It was nothing,"_ High Wire beeped, bowing his head humbly, _"Rad was in pain and it was the least I could do."_

**What Went Wrong Here?:**

Rad never wanted to admit it, not to anyone but his father, but it was bound to come out eventually and with Sari on base he couldn't hold back anymore. All he could really do was close his eyes, hold his breath and face the music of his best friends ridiculing him out of the social norm.

"You hate cats?" Carlos clarified, one of his eyebrows raised and an incredulous look on his face. Had their Mini-cons been able, they would have most likely done the exact same thing.

"I don't _hate_ them," Rad began, "I'm just… I can't be in the room with them. I'm, what's the word… Um, allergic. They make me sneeze like it's spring time in the hay fields and it's disgusting. I used to be able to tolerate the ones that came into the territory when I was little, but now if I get within five feet of them my brain can be seen shooting out of my nose."

"That's gross," The tan male said matter-of-fact, less offended by this than Rad thought he would have been. The Spaniard was actually trying not to laugh his lungs out, "But you seriously have nothing to worry about, amigo. Just wear nose plugs when you see Sari and you'll be fine. You might have to explain them to the kid and the 'Bots, but you'll be fine."

"…Really?"

"Absitively, posolutely."

**Tit For Tat, They Attack Right Back:**

"Brother," Jetfire spoke, stepping away from Sonar and Runway as the little Mini-cons' energy levels flared, "Are we to actually get these to the Prime?"

"It is what Mr. Sentinel said we is to do," Jetstorm replied.

Despite their orders, both young mechs decided to be very, very careful with these Mini-cons. Being found by Sureshock meant the two were most likely unstable and unpleasant. They had already caused the two Seekers to ram into a mountain in alt mode and become mired down in the waterhole, so the twins weren't taking any more chances.

Sonar gave a beep towards Runway in the Mini-cons' own language, one that the twins couldn't even begin to understand, and they were both off again. This time in to the woods Optimus and the others had specifically told the jets to avoid if they could possibly help it. The little mechs didn't even seem to realize that they were basically heading back the way they came, but they honestly didn't care. To them, anything was better than being caught by the two odd Autobots. They'd take their chances with Sureshock and his scary organic. At least neither of them had anything to gain from befriending them.

However, the twins were taller and faster and didn't really want anything bad to happen to the stray Mini-cons.

Jetstorm took a leap into the air and landed just before the little flyers, halting them in their tracks, his peds leaving indentations in the Earth, "I am sorry, but this is foolishness. Please come with us."

Ignoring Jetstorm, the Mini-cons tried changing their route, but suddenly noticed the shadow of the lighter mech casting itself upon them. They only had enough time after that to see twin pairs of servos reach down and snatch them up, albeit more gently than earlier.

**Snap!:**

Cliffjumper continued to observe Mirage, the little blue Mini-con doing exactly the same, though with less anger in his disposition despite being held in the red minibot's servos with his arms crossed over his chest. He really found it humorous, he was a defense type Mini-con who ended up with an Autobot whom loved to fight. No, wait, that was irony, not amusement.

"So," Cliffjumper began, "Blurr says that you're my partner because I'm the one who got you back. How exactly does that work?"

_"Well, according to custom, I scan you so I can attach to you in battle and make you stronger. Does that work for you?"_ Mirage answered and then asked, taking notice that the red mech's features seemed to blush at the description the little blue mech had given in reference to the power-link.

"Attach?" Cliffjumper asked, setting Mirage down on his new berth on the Earth base, "Attach to where, exactly?"

Mirage tilted his helm. Hmm, that was a good question.

The Mini-con walked along the berth and sort of circled the 'Bot as best he could to get a better idea at where he could possibly fit when Cliffjumper was practically carrying an entire warehouse arsenal. It would be difficult to fit anywhere when all of the most promising spaces were occupied by a laser gun or something worse already. Neck, shoulder struts, back seams, legs, wrists, chassis, everything was taken!

_"I could try and fit on your arm if you remove the mini bazooka,"_ Mirage suggested, climbing onto the 'Bot to pry the weapon off and scan Cliffjumper, but was stopped almost immediately, the red compact shaking him off and back onto the berth.

"I can get it off myself. Besides, this is kind of, um, in the development stages." Cliffjumper spoke, scratching the back of his helm when Mirage gave him a disturbed look.

_"Why am I not surprised?"_

**Kraka- Kelpie:**

Rad really didn't want this argue at the moment, but he'd been waiting for Carlos and Alexis to get into it ever since his best friend caught their once-friend following them and the Autobots last night. He was actually surprised the gazelle hadn't decked the wolf by now. Just goes to show that Carlos was at least smart enough to know she'd fight back. Now Rad, and the Autobots that woke up that morning to the pair's shrieking, just had to wait out the never-ending parade insults.

If they were lucky, the two wouldn't wake Sari or Professor Sumdac up.

"For the last time, I'm only here because Sureshock _asked_ me to come! I have no desire to come anywhere near _you_, you can be sure of that," Alexis practically snarled, though in human form her disposition had less effect on Carlos than she would have liked.

"Yeah, I'll bet you say that to all the herbivores who wonder away from their territories," Carlos rebuked jabbing a finger against her shoulder, usually a stupid move, but he didn't seem to care since in this form he was a good two and a half feet taller than her, "But guess what, chicky, I ain't buyin' it!"

"At least they're talking to each other again," Rad noted absently, leaning over Optimus' ped, a place well out of harm's way in case the two _did_ come to blows. Unlikely, but he liked living with all of his limbs intact. Apparently all the Mini-cons agreed, including Sureshock and Grindor, the two hiding behind Prime's other ped, the left one, the closer one to the action.

"You consider this a _good_ sign?" The Autobot commander asked, optics watching intently as the two hostile teens' audio level increased. He really didn't understand why Carlos hated this tiny human femme so much, when Rad continuously said she'd done nothing wrong, but he found it interesting and prevented him from falling into recharge again. It was better than what the humans called caffeine.

"Hey, I consider every day that she doesn't rip him in half and he doesn't try and trample her a good sign. This is excellent." The blond smiled. High Wire gave a reverberating chuckle, eyeing Grindor and Sureshock tense up more by the second. Of course out of the three Mini-cons, High Wire was lucky to get the optimist.

**Creepy and Crazy Live in Harmony:**

Upon the walls of Prometeus Black's home/giant freaking lab were the dozens of pictures of the people he'd helped either look better or achieve "purpose" in life. Fanzone didn't like it and neither did Sam. Most of the pictures showcased people who were once bald or warped that became either unnaturally beautiful or just damned unsettling. Colossus Rhodes was one of them and that in itself was a wonder, since after changing from a bare four feet to someone about nine feet tall he'd become Prometheus' body-guard.

"Again, Captain Fanzone, I appreciate your worrying on my behalf, but you can see that Mister Masterson didn't manage to hurt me or any of my possessions," The tall blond man said, oil practically dripping from his mock gratitude, "Now, if you don't mind, I must ask you to leave. I have an experiment in the works and must get back downstairs."

The Captain nodded, though a little miffed at how they were basically being pulled one way to be stopped from going another. Sam felt the same, but despite his connections to Black's work and benefactors, even he couldn't stop them from getting kicked out by Rhodes, the steroid using idiot…

Once the door was shut tight behind the two Guards, locks turned and switched into place, solid titanium blocking out the rest of the world as the polite smile slid right off of the blond man's face. Lords, he hated the Guard, they were always poking around in his work and hindering his advancements.

"You can come out now, Masterson," Prometheus called, backwards towards the kitchen, his skinny and less than stable ward coming into sight in his black and mauve Borzoi form. He was gittery as per usual, but no worse than he normally was after being chased by the Guard, which was good for Black.

"H-hey, boss," The young man greeted, bypassing Colossus on his way into the living area, "Sorry about them, I really thought they wouldn't catch me in Sumdac's tower this time."

"Never mind," Prometheus ordered impatiently, "Did you get the co-ordinates or not?"

With a quick mold and twitch, the Borzoi turned back into the usual, awkward and extremely wired looking Henry Masterson, clothed in a tattered lab coat and his usual underclothes. Snaking his hands into his pockets, the Tech pulled out a crumpled sheet of balled up paper, little scribbles Prometheus had learned to read adorning it and causing the older man to grin approvingly.

"Very good, Mr. Masterson, very good."

**All Around Me- Flyleaf:**

_"I still do not understand, Rad,"_ High Wire said almost shyly, _"Why are you acting so strange? You seem very… erotic, lately. And all because it's nearing your planet's Spring cycle?"_

"It's mating season, I can't help it," Rad explained, his elk form's large horns swaying along with his head as he lagged behind Hot Shot. The waterhole was close and then maybe he'd calm down. All he needed was a nice, cold bath to take his mind off of things. Like how he wanted to run around everywhere despite his energy waning every hour, or how Carlos was acting way too nice towards Grindor lately or even how High Wire suddenly seemed so damn sexy in either form all of a sudden.

Actually, he'd been thinking about High Wire a lot lately, no matter how hard he tried to think of something, anything, else. But, it was hard, seeing as how High Wire's scent seemed amplified lately and his figure caught Rad's eye and his faceplate was begging to be kissed and—Now he really had to stop before he did something he'd regret. Maybe if he went to the front of Hot Shot, Rad would be more occupied with not being stepped on?

Rad trotted forward and set the pace, the yellow soldier giving a little sound of surprise, but avoided turning the stag into a bloody stain on the ground, High Wire wondering what he'd said to cause Rad to react in such a way. He made a quick leap and was right beside his human again, and gave the red elk a little rub with the side of his helm.

High Wire didn't realize it, but the action sent a small tremor up Rad's frame and he had to bite his tongue to keep from giving a little moan, _'No, no, no, no! It would never work! He's a robot, I'm a human and I'm three times bigger than him in this form! The process would never work out!...Unless he was—No!'_

"Rad?" The small blue Mini-con asked, his dearest friend suddenly stopping, dropping to the ground and smacking his head on the earth repeating the word 'No' with every hit to the dirt.

Extras: Transformer profiles and human trades.

Name: Prowl.  
Home: Cybertron, but he's come to love Earth and may move in the near future.  
Series Basis: Animated (because there's just not enough motorcycle action in the world.)  
Second Form: A motorcycle.  
Family/Allies: Jazz, Optimus, Red Alert, Bulkhead, the Autobots, the Mini-cons, the humans.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Lockdown, Sideways.

Name: Barricade.  
Home: Cybertron, if he ever gets back.  
Series Basis: '07 Movie.  
Second Form: A cruiser, but he's trying for an organic form, maybe a wolf or lion.  
Family/Allies: Frenzy, the Decepticons, Scorponok.  
Enemies: Sam, Bumblebee, the Autobots.

Name: Bulkhead.  
Home: Technically Cybertron, but was sparked on the Speed Planet, somehow.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Second Form: A SWAT vehicle, but he rarely uses it because the roads on Earth suck.  
Family/Allies: Scavenger, Bumblebee, Prowl, Smokescreen, Ironhide, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, but nobody else in particular.

Names: Jetfire and Jetstorm.  
Home: Anywhere that Sentinel goes.  
Series Basis: Animated (I love foreign accents. Drool.)  
Second Form(s): Seeker jets, one orange and one blue.  
Family/Allies: Each other, Sentinel, the Autobots, Rad, Sureshock, High Wire, Alexis, Carlos, Grindor, Sonar, Runway.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Thrust, Cyclonus.

Name: Ironhide.  
Home: Anywhere non-organic.  
Series Basis: '07 Movie.  
Second Form: A black Topkick.  
Family/Allies: Lennox, Epps, Scavenger, Smokescreen, Jazz, Optimus, Red Alert, the Autobots.  
Enemies: Decepticons and anyone who gets on his nerves.

Name: Lockdown.  
Home: Neutral cities and his ship.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Second Form: A very freaky muscle car and if he really needs to, a tiger-like thing.  
Family/Allies: Thrust, Cyclonus and Blitzwing on a good day.  
Enemies: Too many to count.

**Trades:**

Trackers: People who search out other beings or objects when hired to do so. They're usually used to search out criminals or Predators.

The Guard: Basically the police force of The City, who also escort the higher-ups from one kingdom to the next and serve as body guards. They don't see much action outside The City, so they rarely leave even after they retire.

Runners: Shapeshifters that deliver messages through all kingdoms or act as steeds when battle approaches. All of them are very fast, but few can even use a sword.

Techs: Those without any special abilities who serve their kingdoms' few mechanical needs. So many live in The City that they practically make up fifty-three percent of the populace.

Healers: Doctors, nurses and midwives that live in peace through the whole of the world. Although, almost all of them are kind and use their abilities for good, some can be used to ruin armies if paid well enough.

Knights: A group of highly skilled men and women in groups of five to twenty that guard diplomats that can afford it, but are usually only used in the palaces of each kingdom to safeguard the kings or queens.

Diplomats: Basically desk jockeys who fill out all of the paperwork for their kings and queens, but they also sign important treaties and the like outside of their own territories.

Poachers: Hunters of one of a kind creatures and people who are outside the norm. Some they kill for trophies, some they capture and sell as slaves or experiments to private collectors. Very insidious.

Sears: People who work for the upper class and can see the future if leaned in the right direction. Many of them are lowly and can't see further than a month, but some of them, the real deals, work for the Hierarchy and are protected like precious jewels or priceless antiques.

Hierarchy: The leaders of the kingdoms and territories. Most of them were warriors or gained their titles through their ancestors and those ones are seen as chauvinistic wastes. Some are benevolent, some rule through fear. Out of the seven kingdoms, there are three Predators, four Herbivores; two Shapeshifters, three Normal and two Gifted. One queen out of all of them and kings rule the rest. It is all very complex.

Gods: Beings that keep the balance of power between realms and intervene in the lives of mortals if they feel it is needed. Though, most of the time, they just sit back and enjoy watching what goes on in the Kingdoms.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Trust me, I don't own anything. If I did, the mechs would get freaked out a lot more.

Alright pals and gals, enjoy and thanks to all who helped.

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'_Monsters are real. And ghosts are real, too. They live inside us. And sometimes they win._' ---Steven King.

**Catch You Later:**

"Starscream! Move your tailpipe, we're in a hurry here!"

"Cyclonus, if you don't shut up…" The red and white Seeker threatened, wing sword extended toward the helicopter in open hostility. They had been digging around in the snow for over an hour and still no Mini-con. They were flyers, they shouldn't have had to deal with the sort of things as digging in freezing white fluff and ice for something so small! Perhaps it would have been wiser to use their own Mini-cons, but that would just take longer since Crumplezone was as big a freak as his master and Swindle wouldn't get off of the tree fifty feet behind them.

"Both of you be quiet!" The Femme both flyers had come to hate deeply called from beyond where she'd last been, keeping an optic open for signs of Autobots, "And hurry up, it's freezing out here!"

Starscream couldn't help but give a sneer at how the spider-bot shivered when a wind picked up and blasted against her, her misery making him a little less unhappy at his own situation. Techo-organics, pfft. Why Megatron bothered with them was beyond Starscream's comprehension.

"If you want to get out of here, why don't you help out?" The Seeker asked, avoiding a rock Cyclonus had lodged free and carelessly tossed aside.

"Because," Blackarachnia spoke, venom in her voice, "Megatron told me to keep watch and that's what I'm doing."

"Plus you don't want to dirty those dainty little servos of yours," Cyclonus cackled, another rock flying from his grasp and almost hitting his fellow sky lover.

The femme's bloody red optics narrowed at the mech who made Blitwing look sane and gave a little hiss, turning quickly back to where she'd seen something moving just along the lining of the hill they were bellow. She would deal with the both of them later, once she made sure that the figure in the distance wasn't a danger. She didn't care if it was a rabid organic, she was more concerned that it may be Optimus Prime or another Mini-con. It was funny really, she'd never feared the small beings before, but on this weird planet, they all seemed quite willing to fight and maim whoever they felt was a threat and had on more than one occasion managed to hurt the Decepticons, especially High Wire and Sureshock.

Swindle gave a little whistle at Starscream, _"A little to the left, boss."_

"Thanks," Starscream called back, doing as the little red mech suggested, digits feeling around for anything even vaguely metallic. Starscream didn't want to listen to the Mini-cons, but had learned through trial and error, it often helped to listen to them once in a while. Some of them liked the Decepticons and it was better not to insult them. Or at least, not to insult Swindle, seeing as the racer had taken to becoming the Seeker's partner very quickly and that he had two dangerous friends roaming near the Decepticon's base.

**Where Shall I Wander:**

Carlos continued to lay on top of Grindor, exhausted after their night together and still all sticky and gross, but happy. Grindor was still petting his head tenderly, the sun peeking through Carlos' hut's window to wake all the residents. The little Mini-con didn't let it show on his face, but he was grateful Carlos hadn't woken up just yet. It would ruin the effect in calmness over the Plain that always came with the early morning and the birds waking up and the crickets ceasing their music.

It was odd that Grindor didn't feel as if he'd done anything wrong. Really, if he told anyone else about this, he'd expect to be harshly judged on the basis that the being he'd chosen to fall in love with would be dead in less than three hundred years. Carlos said that some of his kind, some humans, lived to be thousands of years old, but that was never guaranteed. The others would definitely judge him, but he didn't mind. If Carlos lived longer than Grindor, that was good and if Carlos died in a couple days, Grindor would deal with it. What mattered to Grindor was that he'd found someone that not only loved him back, but didn't mind that they were of completely different species.

The tan male's stomach rose again for breath and the grey Mini-con smiled internally at the little sigh that escaped his human's lips to release the used oxygen. Everything about Carlos was so cute to Grindor, it was amazing he hadn't filed every memory he had of the young man in his internal hard-drive.

**Good Night, Good Luck:**

Bright yellow optics widened at the sight before them. Nothing Mr. Sentinel had ever told the Jet twins about organic planets rang true as Jetfire followed little Sonar through the Cold Mountain. Massive trees prevented him from flying, but he was fine with walking, some of the more versatile plants caught his optics and tickled when they moved to identify him as a threat or not.

_"Watch your step there,"_ Sonar beeped back, continuing on the barely visible path set before him. He was glad that his new partner was enjoying this little trip and not setting anything on fire, like the white Mini-con thought he would. If the mostly orange flying mech did set the volatile area ablaze, Sonar had the feeling Sureshock, Swindle and Alexis would treat Jetfire to a very slow and painful death.  
"Why are we to be wandering here in the darkness?" Jetfire asked, a thick tree branch rattling as his helm struck it. The third one in the last fifteen minutes.

Sonar sighed, "_Because, if we left during the day, Sentinel would follow and ruin everything. This is a training exercise and you can't be distracted. Besides, your brother is off in The City with High Wire and his human, so this is the perfect time for you to do your own personal training."_

The young mech tripped over a patch of slimy moss and landed just short of on top of the Mini-con, some sleeping birds shrieking as the sound he made spoiled their rest. Jetfire's optics shuttered on and off as he looked sheepishly at Sonar, the white Mini-con crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"…Will we be getting to the training soon?"

"_Yes, yes,"_ Sonar grumbled, continuing on the path. Jetfire got up and followed like a puppy, some of the slime he'd slipped on falling from his smearing chassis. Okay, so maybe _some_ of the things Sentinel said about organic planets was true, but at least the stuff on his front smelled pleasant. The blue plow said that organic slime always smelled like something even worse than putrid motor oil and Energon.

Sonar jumped another set of logs and sturdy boulders, his little peds leaving tiny little imprints in the rotted out wood as proof of his existence and he didn't even notice some of the smaller foliage moving over the tracks. Jetfire noticed, though, and took a mental picture of the image for Jetstorm to see when he got back from The City. The plants settled into the imprints and seemed to burrow deeper into them, stilled and then tiny little leaves sprung from the indentations.

"Do all of these organics do this?" Jetfire spoke curiously again, squeezing between some more trees as the smell of water met his olfactory sensors, "The bunching together, the moving, the creating of more?"

Sonar thought on that for a moment as he finally found the rock over-hang and with the waterfall Sureshock and Swindle were so fond of visiting, "On this planet? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The ones behind us are plant life, I'm not entirely sure about the mammals, the birds, the fish and so on and so forth. You'd have to ask the boys when they get back."

**Theirs Alone:**

"So, humans have really seen what you call "gods" despite the fact that you don't necessarily need to die?"

Fanzone nodded absently at Prowl and Yoketron. He didn't turn from his paper-work, but he was willing to answer these particular Autobots' questions. It kept his mind off of his splitting head-ache.

"Yeah, some of them are even in the Hierarchy on Earth instead of beyond The Veil. Like Galloway, he's not a whole god like his ancestors, more like a demi-god. That still makes him pretty powerful, but if need be, we can take him out if he ever goes completely out of control. Keeps the balance of power."

"Fascinating," Prowl said, Yoketron beside him taking in everything the human had said.

"Does Galloway not wish to be with his fellow gods?" The much older Autobot asked.

"No," Fanzone sighed. The paper-work would have to wait a moment, he was missing his stapler again. Getting up from his office chair, the mustached man exited his meager Captain's chamber and walked out into the hall both Cybertronians had been sitting in, waiting for news from Prime and pestering him with questions concerning his city.

"No? Why?" Yoketron continued, transforming into his white stag form as Prowl took on his cycle mode to follow the Captain down the narrow halls and resume their conversation. If it could be called that.

"Because he's a creep. He enjoys messing up other people's lives on account of him being a descendant of the God of Chaos. Plus, he got bored with just watching humans half a century ago," Fanzone explained.

**Lonely Hearts:**

Starscream grit his dentals in obvious agitation as Slipstream and Blackarachnia started chatting down the halls that lead to what the first group of Decepticons that landed on Earth had officially dubbed as the throne room. Granted, it wasn't much of a throne room, considering the "throne" was more like four slabs of sturdy rock that had been there when they'd arrived and withstand Meagatron's full weight without cracking, and there were at least seven small tunnels that the Mini-cons and Alexis used to sneak in and out of whenever they wanted.

"Dearest brother," Sunstorm spoke from behind the slightly taller Seeker, bending down beside Sureshock and Swindle, both Mini-cons in their alt modes and enduring Sunstorm's prodding, "You're looking very odd. Something exciting happen with our superior leader?"

"No!" Starscream snapped, turning back to his brother to pick up his Mini-con and leave to travel deeper into Cold Mountain for some more training. He didn't want to be around his siblings right now, not when Megatron had just an hour ago given him a beating for failing to grab the last Mini-con. If he stuck around his brother and sister, he ran the risk of punching Sunstorm for being annoyingly optimistic and starting a shouting match with Slipstream for being… herself.

Swindle was all for Starscream keeping himself from descending to the nature of Megatron and happily accompanied the red Seeker outside with Sureshock following as well. The orange Mini-con didn't want to be around Sunstorm or Slipstream either, but for entirely different reasons. Both of them obviously hadn't heard from Lugnut and Blitzwing about what a temper he had when Transformers tried to pick him up without asking.

**Never Easy:**

_The scent of sweat, fire and iron hung in the air like a sort of smog, sounds and echoes of hooves and shouts of the enemy circling the area. The grand form of a golden gazelle stood among the shadows of a battle that had yet to take place. Its form seemed comforting to those looking on in the distance for reasons unknown as of yet. He had the air of one of the best Guardsmen in the world and didn't even know it as he charged into battle once more…_

…The fog from the forced vision left Carlos' eyes, the usual and painful feeling of numbness filled him as well, but he didn't try and rub it from his dark eyes. His best friend's father was looking expectantly at him as he always did when the tribe's youth came to seek their future, fingers pulling the small black orb from the teen's palm.

"So, how was it?" Mr. White asked pleasantly. Carlos took a moment to answer, his head being very dizzy and a sudden feeling that his stomach was going to come up through his nostrils if he moved or spoke too quickly.

"I think… I'm going… to be… sick…"

=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bonus: Mini-con profiles!

Name: High Wire.  
Alt Mode: A blue elk with handlebars where the horns should be and a saddle on his back. His faceplate serves as his muzzle.  
Partner: Rad.  
Allies: The Autobots, some humans, Grindor, Sureshock.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Lockdown.

Name: Grindor.  
Alt Mode: A dark grey gazelle with little shoulder wings like his robot mode. He actually has a mouth in this form.  
Partner: Carlos.  
Allies: High Wire, Sureshock, the Autobots, other Mini-cons.  
Enemies: The Decepticons.

Name: Sureshock.  
Alt Mode: An orange wolf with strong back legs, sharp claws and a thick but flexible tail. A muzzle, but no lips and large shells for ears, like a wild dog.  
Partner: Alexis.  
Allies: Swindle, High Wire, Sparkplug, Grindor, Leader-1, the Autobots, Starscream, Wreck-Gar, Blackarachnia.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Lockdown, Keller, Sentinel.

Name: Swindle.  
Alt Mode: A race car and a wolf. About the same size as Sureshock but thinner and the top of his head ends up on the end of his tail, like a wrecking ball.  
Partner: Starscream.  
Allies: Starscream, Leader-1, Sureshock, Alexis, Blackout.  
Enemies: The Autobots, some Decepticons, some other Mini-cons, etc.

Name: Sparkplug.  
Alt Mode: A yellow compact car and a yellow wolf. He has a muzzle with a mouth and his shoulder struts have an angle that makes him appear larger.  
Partner: Optimus.  
Allies: The Autobots, Sureshock, High Wire, Leader-1.  
Enemies: The Decepticons.

Name: Leader-1.  
Alt Mode: A tank and a grey/white wolf with a mouthed muzzle. His layered faceplate goes to the back of his neck in this form.  
Partner: Megatron.  
Allies: Sparkplug, Swindle, Blackout.  
Enemies: Too many to count.

Name: Frenzy.  
Alt Mode: A boom-box and a silver wildcat with very sharp appendages and an extremely long tail.  
Partner: Barricade.  
Allies: The Decepticons, Scorponok, Swindle.  
Enemies: The Autobots, Rad, Carlos, Sam, Alexis, etc.

Name: Sonar.  
Alt Mode: A jet and a white stag with a muzzle, but no lips.  
Partner: Jetfire.  
Allies: Runway, High Wire, Grindor, Sureshock, the Autobots, Sari.  
Enemies: The Decepticons.

Name: Runway.  
Alt Mode: A jet and a stag like Sonar, only with a much thicker build.  
Partner: Jetstorm.  
Allies: Sonar, Sureshock, Swindle, Sparkplug, Alexis, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons.

Name: Mirage.  
Alt Mode: A race car and a blue fox with a muzzle, but no actual mouth.  
Partner: Cliffjumper.  
Allies: Sureshock, High Wire, Sonar, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Lockdown.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I still don't own a thing, not at all. Transformers is the property of Hasbro/Takara and the like.**

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====  
_Secrets are a burden to those who swallow them whole._-Mouse Guard._

**Night Gallery:**

Rad did not want to go into the woods of Cold Mountain under the cover of night. He did not want to bring High Wire with him, either. However, these were the conditions set by Sureshock if they wanted to be led to Alexis' burrow and they were going to do as the orange Mini-con said. They didn't like it, but they would do it.

_"We're here,"_ Sureshock finally announced stopping before a tall black tree with no leaves and angry scar marks made by hundreds of thousands of years' abuse from Mother Nature. The roots actually curved up from the ground and seemed to hold the dirt up from collapsing at the mouth of the tunnel's entrance.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the blond teen and his Mini-con walked to the opening. The scent of blood was wafting up from inside and it terrified Rad, but he had no real choice. He had to talk to Alexis and convince her to give the Autobots the Mini-con panel before the Decepticons figured out the signal was really coming from her home and not simply re-routing its signal to confuse them.

Sureshock didn't even bother to wait for Rad or High Wire and simply walked into the burrow, into the blackness below, like he was walking into his own home. This place, though he'd only been coming there for a month, didn't scare him even a little. True, it was frightening beyond words in the evening and dark of the night, but Alexis made it feel comfortable. The Autobots base simply felt too formal to be comfortable in, regardless of whether or not High Wire and Grindor were there.

"_We're coming, Sureshock. Slow down," High_ Wire whispered, helping Rad duck under the roots that attempted to steal the teen's cloak. They both moved down to their knees to scuttle further down, the hole seeming to get narrower until they saw Sureshock stand and pause for them. He offered a servo to both and they continued on.

Rad had never been in a tunnel like this before. He'd been in the ones used by the Autobots, but nothing like this, with its winding burrows, small caves, the smell of water somewhere nearby and of course, the multitude of stray bones hidden in the shadows like glass waiting to cut into unprotected skin. The teen was truly ready to get the Hell out of there the moment he got what he came for. _If_ he got what he came for.

**Something New…:**

Ironhide followed Lennox up the slight incline to his tribe's current residence at the edge of the river with renewed vigor. Epps was trailing behind and breathing hard, but keeping up all the same. The black Autobot was, for once, curious about how Sarah was doing. True, Blurr and Red Alert were already at the tented area with Jazz, making sure that Lennox's mate would be fine, but Ironhide liked to see things first hand.

The blond stallion waded through the river, kicking up debris and loose reeds from below and made it to land with time to spare. Jazz moved out of the way as Lennox made a shout of "Move it or lose it!" and switched to his human form to halt before stilling in front of the birthing tent. Lennox took a deep breath and opened the tent's entrance. Ironhide heard the vexing sounds of a female's screaming when the tent flap shut out the world again.

"What is happening in there?" Ironhide asked Red Alert, some water dripping from his black paintjob as he moved to stand a good twenty feet from the tent, more screaming to follow his question with Will saying something the weapons expert couldn't quite make out.

"Sarah is doing what we'd call Sparking. Her offspring is being born," Red Alert answered as another scream sounded off, this one filled to the brim with expletives. The blue medic really couldn't help but cringe. He hated when anyone was in pain, hence him being a medic.

"Sounds like fun," Jazz said sarcastically. Epps walked up besides them and gave a wry smile at the silver mech's words, "You can say that again."

They all heard Lennox himself give a pained cry as his wife cursed at him again and all mechs present said three simple words,

"Sounds like fun…"

**Beneath a Briar:**

"Swindle, where are you? I'm getting irritated with this pointless game of hide and seek," Starscream called. It was true, more so because thousands of Cold Mountain roses were planting thorns and brambles and Primus knew what else in any seam and break in his armor they could find. Some of the roses even blatantly swatted at his optics to keep him away from their leaves and red petals. Disgusting organic life…

He pulled at two particularly angry vines, the thorns scraping away his red paint. As they snapped under his grip, the Seeker actually took notice that he was being followed. Starscream swiftly turned from where he'd seen Swindle disappear and towards the upper branches of a tree to see a pair of teal eyes staring down at him with what one might call passive amusement. The Seeker did _not_ want to deal with Alexis right now.

"If you're trying to catch up with Swindle, you're in for a nasty surprise," The black wolf said pleasantly enough, yawning as she stretched upon the wood, fur shimmering with perspiration from the morning dew, "There's a river just beyond the briar and you're heading for the waterfall's overhang. Or did you fancy a dip?"

"Actually I fancied being left in peace for the next hour. Go away."

Despite his always rude comments, the teen jumped off the tree and moved towards his peds at a comfortable pace. After four months of dealing with the Decepticons she was used to their conduct and knew their body language. And their thoughts and their pasts. And anything else she needed from them, really. Starscream especially, had caught her attention with his constant rebelling against his leader and his behavior towards everyone else. He was… interesting.

The wolf cautiously followed the mech as he pulled more vines from himself with a little smile on her face, "Starscream, if you'd like, I can take you to Swindle without you getting wet."

"And why would you do that?" The red Seeker asked, one of his optic ridges rising suspiciously. For all the time he and his comrades had been on Earth, Alexis had never offered them something out of the goodness of her heart, so this offer raised some red warning signs in his processor.

The wolf gave the equivalent of a shrug and jumped up to his peds. She then proceeded to scurry up his legs, midsection and arms to his left shoulder and sat down on him innocently, "Sureshock's with Swindle and I don't want to waste energy walking through the wood to get there. This way, you cut my travel time in half and I promise the roses won't bother you and you won't swan dive into the river."

"Why won't the roses bother me?" Starscream asked, annoyed at how the creature sat on him like he was as safe as a butterfly, but continued on anyway.

What she said was true, though. The roses and their horrible thorns moved away for the Decepticon with the Post-cog on his shoulder strut, seeming afraid by Alexis' mere presence and not wanting to mess with either of them anymore.

Alexis sighed at the plants' reaction to her, "Because, they know I can send them back underground and they don't want to lose the sunlight."

**Mockery:**

"Here Barri, Barri, Barricade! I got a nice little surprise for you!"

If the attractive black Decpeticon could have chosen that moment to either be on the accursed mud ball known as Earth or back home on Cybertron, he would have chosen Cybertron five times over. So long as it meant that Cyclonus wasn't there as well. If the light colored whirly bird had been on the Cybertronian home planet… Barricade might have to think about it more. However, since he had no choice, for the time being, he'd have to deal with Cyclonus in the best way he knew how: Ignore, threaten, maim.

Turning from the computer now sitting happily in the main cavern of their "base" (if one could even call it that) Barricade revealed his frowning faceplate, red optics narrowed in annoyance. Cyclonus didn't even flinch.

Bringing out his servos from behind his back, Cyclonus' deranged, if not manic, smile widened as the frown was immediately wiped off of Barricade's face. Held innocently in Cyclonus' servos was the black cruiser's little crack-bot Frenzy. Wearing at least a dozen yellow ribbons. Painted midnight blue. Waving at his partner happily and as though nothing was wrong with this picture at all.

"Now you match!" Cyclonus declared happily.

Barricade felt one of his servos clench but wasn't completely aware of it moving at top speeds and smashing into the helicopter's faceplate until after it happened and Frenzy was scurrying around the fallen 'Con's head.

Barricade shuttered his optics a few times. Looking at his fist and then the entrance to the cavern, the black mech swiftly picked up Frenzy and bolted from the room. Cyclonus was no doubt the biggest glitch in the Decepticon army, but if he got mad enough, there was no question that he could easily blow off Barricade's helm.

The only evidence that he's ever been in the room was the computer being left on in his haste and Frenzy tugging off one of his ribbons to watch it flutter as he let it go and Barricade ran for his own safety.

**Meer:**

A small group of at least twenty Mice-Deer scuttled together among the tall grasses of Jade Country, their light green and blue colors camouflaging them as they drank the sweet water of the wetlands, ever alert of danger.

Mostly.

"_Are you sure we should be doing this?"_ Sparkplug asked his hunting partner, Sureshock, both of them hiding as best they could in some blond grass in their alt modes. The yellow Mini-con still wasn't sure about this whole sneaking-behind-Optimus'-back-to-learn-some-skills thing. But, then again, he was younger than Sureshock and thought that everything he said and did was wrong.

"_You heard Alexis,"_ Sureshock explained again, _"We catch one of those Meer or Mouse-Deer or whatever, and we learn how to keep up our endurance. We don't have to kill them, we just have to pin them down and nip their ears. It's all well and good."_

"B-but," Sparkplug sputtered again, _"What if one of the Autobots see us chasing them? Won't they get angry?"_

"Don't be stupid," The orange mech growled lowly, optic light flickering down as one of the Meer stags, only about the size of an ordinary house cat, turned its head their way, _"Now, be quiet, get ready to run and we'll be back at Patola Palace before Optimus has even noticed we've been gone."_

Sparkplug groaned, but did as he was told. Both of them stilling for just a moment, intakes quieting down completely and with no word or motion to suggest anything, both Mini-cons were sprinting towards the little flock.

At the first sound of the mech's metal paws hitting the ground the whole of the tiny herbivore group snapped to attention and all flew into different directions, some in the taller grass and some towards the thick and muddy waters, all hoping to lose their enemies. Sparkplug went into the water after a large (for their size) stag and Sureshock went into the grass after a swift doe. They only needed one, but if they each got their own target, it helped their experience.

**Back Alley Trick or Treat:**

Dainty brown paws hit the pavement with polished ease under the moon's ever watchful and eerie light, beautiful eyes observing the acts of the homeless and drug-riddled mongrels of the streets going through the usual motions of the evening. Mikaela, despite Sam's begging to take her home tonight, was being escorted to her own little apartment by Red Plain's current Spaniard playboy and his Mini-con, both in Gazelle form and perfectly at ease around these less than ideal settings.

"So," Mikaela started off casually, ever present smile directed at Carlos as Grindor jumped a foot in the air, an alley cat causing the dark Mini-con to shift to his bot mode and jump atop his partner, "Have you ever been to The City before?"

"Eh, once or twice," Carlos replied, "Before I reached maturity. With a couple old friends, we were about twelve and really wanted to see the Festival of Hallows. That was a wonderful time, I kid you not."

"So you enjoyed yourselves? I always found the festival scary, even as a little girl," The Husky mix reminisced, tail wagging at the mere thought of the food they served and the costumes worn by all.

The gold stag chuckled a little, "Yes, it was a little scary, but it helps when you have friends around to make even bigger fools of themselves."

"Who were your friends?" Mikaela asked, curiosity peeked at the thought of this young man and his brethren of Red Plain, "Are they anyone I know?"

"Well," Carlos began, smiling as Grindor leaned against his horns, little arm dangling through the gap in the horns to touch the stag's snout teasingly, "There was Rad. You met him, earlier, the red elk with the Mini-con High Wire."

"Ah, right. Billy tackled him on sight," The Husky grinned, "I can only imagine what he was like when he was little. Was he quite foolish?"

"Nah, that was me. He was the brave one. Still is, pretty much. He dressed up as a gargoyle with big red scales all over his face and like, five fake horns sticking out of his shoulders, it was awesome!"

Mikaela laughed aloud at the thought of the tall blond she'd met earlier being as Carlos described. Much less serious and just playful… It was a nice thought.

"Was there anyone else?" She questioned again, pausing in her stride with a big grin on her face. A grin that quickly dissolved at the look that suddenly crossed the Spaniard's own visage, a sudden dark frown settling on his features and Grindor shrinking back upon his dearest partner as though she'd spoken of something taboo.

"Is something wrong?" Mikaela asked with an almost-stutter, tail flopping meekly downwards, "Did I say something to upset you?"

The gazelle shook his head, thick ears making a noticeable little 'thwack' sound with the action, "No, I'm sorry, I just spaced out there for a second. Bad memories."

"We could talk about something else if you're uncomfortable."

"…That's actually a good idea. Do you have a boyfriend?" Carlos asked mischievously, Grindor giving the gazelle a swift smack to the back of his head as Mikaela gave another cheery laugh.

**Cat and Bird:**

Swoop stared down almost threateningly at Laserbeak. In his bot mode he was much less scary, but he got his point across very well with his closely set optics in this form. This nest was his and he wanted the little orange pipsqueak to go away and stop bothering him. Prowl told him to be nice to Laserbeak, as had Red Alert and the Mini-cons, but the little gnat was just so irritating.

"You know," A familiar voice spoke from directly under Swoop, "Maybe he really likes you. Or he thinks you're his momma. Why don't you give him a chance?"

The only flying Dinobot looked around, arms flailing when he discovered that the voice was coming from between his legs, a pair of little ruby eyes staring up at him. The kitten that Bumblebee had brought onto the base. How delightful…_not_.

Swoop gave a little growl as Sari, in her own furry alt mode, rubbed languidly against his stabilizing servos to send her point across and grab his undivided attention. Swoop was now discovering why he could be online for the rest of eternity without femme attentions. They were nosy, annoying and he wasn't allowed to step on them!

**Name(s): Sunstorm and Slipstream.  
Alt Mode(s): Seekers, one mostly orange/yellow, one mostly dark purple/light blue.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Home: Anywhere Starscream goes.  
Allies/Family: Starscream, the Decepticons, Sureshock, Alexis, Swindle, Lori.  
Enemies: The Autobots, Prometeus Black.**

Name: Cliffjumper.  
Alt Mode: A red compact.  
Series Basis: Animated/G1.  
Home: Cybertron.  
Allies/Family: Mirage, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, the Jettwins, the Autobots.  
Enemies: All Decepticons and anyone who he deems suspicious.

Name: Yoketron and Soundwave.  
Alt Mode(s): An Earth white elk and… I don't know just yet.  
Series Basis: Animated (duh) and Movie/G1.  
Home: A sort of monastery on the fringe of Cybertron and the main Decepticon base on Cybertron (usually).  
Allies/Family: The Autobots, Prowl, Scavenger, Optimus, Red Alert and Megatron, the Decepticons, Thrust.  
Enemies: The opposite factions, but nobot else in particular.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything and can't possibly imagine that I ever will.**

_Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear. –The Cat Returns._

**I Hate You, Too:**

Megatron kept his optics directed forward, but his peripheral scanners were still observing Leader-1 and Optimus Prime's Mini-con chasing each other in their alt modes under the other Decepticons' stabilizing servos. Occasionally they purposefully crept beneath Soundwave and each rang out a butchered version of a bark. Even the lord of destruction had to admit that it was near impossible to keep from laughing when the telepath jumped into the air and turned around, only to find that the Mini-cons had scurried down one of the infernal tunnels.

"Lord Megatron?" The red visored mech asked in his usual monotone, but with a pinch of something that suggested he was actually begging about something.

Megatron tilted his helm from its position on his right servo, "What is it, Soundwave?"

"Subject: Mini-cons. Request: Go away?"

"Not very likely, Soundwave," The tank replied almost in a dismissive manner, optic catching sight of Swindle slowly creeping up behind the silver and blue mech, very quiet and careful not to let Soundwave notice him in the slightest, "They come and go as they please. And anyway, as long as they don't ruin any of my plans, I don't have much of a problem with what they do. It's actually very amusing."

Soundwave made to give a little sulk, shoulder struts beginning the decent that would lead to sagging, but Swindle chose that moment to give his high pitched, beep ridden bark. The telepath's entire body leapt into the air and he landed rather unceremoniously back onto the floor, leg tripping and causing him to land face first onto the dusty throne room's marble and rock. This time, the Mini-con didn't try to run away and cackled uproariously at the display, pointing at Soundwave as though he was an epic train wreck.

Megatron had to bite down on his own glossa to keep from doing the exact same thing.

**Ready, Steady…:**

"You let him go you piece of trash, or I'm gonna splatter your brains all over this nice floor."

Prometheus actually believed Rad for once. Still leaning over Sam, the blond man felt Rad's hand hovering just a few inches next to the back of his brain stem, the ever present energy the teen often radiated subconsciously increasing with the threat and causing Black's hair to stand on end and make his jaw tighten.

Prometheus was finally noticing the smell of Colossus Rhodes' blood down the corridor he'd last seen the hulking man threatening the red elk in and his brain suddenly realized just how utterly screwed he would be if he didn't remove the knife he was holding before Sam's throat away.

Moving fluidly but not overly so, the taller male moved the black knife with silver inlay encrusted in the handle away from the brunette and stood with both hands in the air. Submissive, but Rad still hadn't moved his hand away from Black's head in the event that he should do something even remotely suspicious.

Sam, for his part, still on the ground and shaking, scuttled backwards until he hit the wall and stood shakily to his feet. Fanzone had been right when he'd said that Prometheus was a sneaky son-of-a-bitch with that knife of his. The Witwicky boy had never seen someone pull out a weapon that quickly on a member of the Guard.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Rad asked, rounding the taller blond to stand beside the younger teen, hand still raised and the vase he'd thought was the heaviest in the hall still levitating precariously above Prometheus' head like an anvil. It wouldn't kill the bastard, but it would certainly knock him out and give him a concussion.

Sam swallowed the saliva that had built up in his mouth and gave a shaky nod, "Yeah, I'm okay. No harm done. What did you do with Rhodes?"

"Threw him into the wall and accidentally nicked his leg on a broken mirror. He'll be awake in about thirty minutes, though, so you may want to call up Fanzone."

"He broke my phone," Sam pointed out, looking at Prometheus in irritation.

Rad sighed. With his other hand he levitated the much taller blond off of the ground, silently delighting in the surprised yelp he let out, and started walking back towards where he'd left Rhodes, "I saw one in the lab. Follow me and watch out for the broken glass."

The Guard pup did as the red elk said, eyes still watching Prometheus. The man/mad scientist did not seem pleased when they walked around the corner to find the large hole that used to be the spectacular mirror with the painted ladies all along the rim. Glass littered the floor, but Sam found that something very important was missing…

"Uh, Rad," Sam started, hand going for the small dagger he always carried per Mikaela's suggestion, "Where's Colossus?"

**Through Broken Looking Glass:**

White halls and white walls far as the eye could see. Starscream was pretty sure his optics would breakdown if he kept looking on for much longer. This place was strange in too many ways to count, but Alexis was still grinning in that odd little human form at him.

"I thought you said you couldn't wear that form on Earth?" The red Seeker asked, Swindle beeping at the question as the floor started moving again, like water on stone, moving Starscream in a little circle, but somehow letting Sureshock and the girl stand still.

"We're not _on_ Earth anymore," Alexis chuckled, moving forward through the white towards a door Starscream hadn't picked up on his viz scanners, "We're _in_ Earth. A hundred billion miles beyond The Veil and past where most of the living can no longer tread."

Hesitantly, Starscream took a step in Alexis' direction, the room finally standing still enough for him to move and Sureshock bounded after in alt mode, optics in half-moons again. The orange Mini-con had obviously been here before, hence his ability to stand up and walk in a clear line.

"_What's the purpose of this place?" _Swindle beeped curiously at Sureshock.

The orange Mini-con paused behind his partner for a moment, little metal paws sifting on the small foot prints she'd left in the dust of a thousand years. He liked Swindle, he really did, but Alexis hadn't really told him enough for him to explain anything to these two about this particular place at this particular time.

Alexis pulled a ring of small black, rusted keys from her ebony cloak and set the smallest one into the keyhole of the small square door. The smile she rarely wore still hung on her features as the key twisted without her, "Protection."

Before any of the mechs behind her could process what was happening, the floor disappeared under them and they all went tumbling down without her, every one of them screaming profanities, even as she started disintegrating before their optics as they went downwards, backs straight on flowing air. Starscream could just make out the words she spoke as her head vanished, her teal eyes blinking like electric light, "I'll meet you at the other end. I hate taking the long way."

**T, Double E, Double R, Double I, Double F, Double I, Double C, C, C:**

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for?"

Banacheck cringed at the high note that spewed from Lori's mouth. He'd no idea how loud the small female could get, but he shouldn't have been so surprised. God, he was getting flinchy in his old age…

The little lilac eyed half-wolf slumped in the cushy brown chair the agent had put her in with what could only be described as a huffy disposition. Why on Earth had she listened to that Sunstorm? Go left, he'd said, the idiot. He probably hadn't a clue in the world what Bud and Coby actually looked like when she'd gone to find them and now she was stuck with this bald man asking her to lure in the dumb, yellow Decepticon.

"We're not asking much," The upper-aged man said half-heartedly, "If Sunstorm hasn't tried to stomp you already, he probably won't anytime soon. We're actually pretty sure he might like you."

"Then why should I help you catch him? He hasn't done anything bad. And anyway, if he hasn't stomped me, why would he stomp anyone else? He's a sweet-heart."

**Fair Flower of Northumberland- Celtic Melodies:**

Billy had to admit that since he'd seen her last, Alexis looked about five times worse, but she was as intimidating as ever. Especially in her wolf form, carrying Matriarch Witwicky on her back as a horse with sharper teeth, standing on end fur and glowing eyes just might. Of course, Mrs. Witwicky on her back might well have _been_ the reason Alexis looked so obviously pissed off.

"Get the shrieking harpy off of me before I break her other leg," Alexis growled, ignoring the offended 'tsk' the red head uttered as Billy and Mikaela did as told. Neither of the Guards wanted to get too close to the black canine, but she looked just short of ready to toss Judy off of her back if she so much as opened her mouth to give one of her long-winded speeches again. Walking from Red Plain and into the City had not been bad enough, but now the tiny (in comparison to others of her kind) Predator had a large number of people who often wanted her dead staring at her.

Both teenagers stood on Alexis' left side and gathered Lady Witwicky off of the makeshift saddle, ever careful of the also makeshift brace on their ruler's right leg. Mikaela held Judy's upper body like she was an expensive vase and Billy held her lower half, some of the herbs in the woman's brace falling to the clean marble floor as his hands held her now ragged dress out of the way.

Free of the royalty that had been on her spine for about three days, Alexis stretched out. Her long front legs spread out before her and she felt her bones give a delightful pop and the fur that had been smothered by the lady fan outwards to freedom, the air cooling her down. She didn't even snap at the woman, Alexis was in such a better mood.

**Not Better, Just Different:**

"_I'm here,"_ High Wire spoke suddenly, the energon cube in his servos forgotten as he looked at Sureshock, "_If you ever need me, I'm here."_

"_Oh, don't say that,"_ Sureshock groaned. He loved his gestalt mate, but sometimes the blue Mini-con was just too touchy-feely for the pumpkin mech's preference, "_Now I'll just feel guilty."_

Grindor and High Wire looked conspiratorially at one another. Their recently very absent friend often got like this when confronted by their good vibes and most often tuned out anything they said unless they ganged up on him. They just wanted to talk to him about his activities with the Decepticon Mini-cons and poor Sparkplug, who was currently hiding from Sureshock in Prime's room so he wouldn't have to go on another little danger filled adventure into Cold Mountain. The little ray of proverbial sunshine still liked what Sureshock was trying to do for him, make him tougher and able to defend himself, but he'd really had his fill for the week and had pleaded with the orange mech's gestalt brothers to make Sureshock stop for at least a short period of time. Like, a few weeks or a month.

"_Sureshock,"_ Grindor spoke seriously, "_Where exactly are you going today?"_

"If another Mini-con doesn't awaken? Probably go into the mountains and run Swindle ragged. Or, Leader-1, if he's available and Horn Head isn't using him for target practice again."

"_Horn Head?"_ High Wire had heard that name before, but couldn't quite remember who'd said it.

"_Megatron,"_ Sureshock answered, servo waving dismissively, _"The great fragger has been chasing his Leader-1 around with a blow-torch lately. Want to come and watch me throw another rock at the Lord of Destruction's faceplate? Last time I cracked his optic."_

Both the much thinner Mini-cons sunk into their seats the humans had brought, along with the other useful objects on base. Earth did many funny things to any Transformer who bothered to come here and in some cases the changes were a little too much to handle. Like Sureshock's sudden daring (which he kinda already had) and curiosity.

**Distractions:**

Grabbing the blue bonding tape from the Mini-cons' one and only med-kit (compliments of Sureshock and Sparkplug) Swindle also grabbed the welding tool that his orange mech friend had nabbed from Red Alert and turned back to Leader-1.

"_You do realize that if Megs keeps doing this, you're very likely to die, right?"_

Still holding his servo to his visor so the thing wouldn't hit the ground and shatter, Leader-1 gave out a low grumble. He did not want to go through this conversation again with their Mini-con groups' resident (and this he usually kept to himself) bad-ass/caregiver. The grey and white tiny tank knew the facts of his situation and he didn't need to go over it over and over again. That would be like opening, or in his case, widening an already painful wound.

"_Yes, Swindle, I know. I just don't care, since I'm getting used to this and the blows are getting a little less forceful."_

"They're not getting less forceful," The red racer corrected adamantly, fingers tracing the line of one of the cracks in grey armor, other hand brandishing the welding tool almost darkly with the blue flame giving a little flicker into red for a split-second, _"Your processors are just so damaged that they're sending you weakened signals. Now hold still."_

Leader-1 didn't want to comply, but did as he was told. His dentals grit beneath his layered faceplate as the flame moved with polished ease over his injury, Cybertronian metal melting just enough to seal the important wires beneath. If it were up to Leader-1, he wouldn't have Swindle of all mechs doing this, but pickings for a decent medi-bot for the Mini-cons were few and very far between for the Decepticons. Last check, the only medic they knew of under this faction that actually knew what he was doing to treat Mini-cons was clear back on Cybertron dealing with political nonsense that the grey mini tank felt certain was nothing short of fodder for the stronger, less physical mechs and femmes.

"_Would it kill you to just avoid Horse-shoe Head in the wee hours of the morning_?" Swindle spoke again, agitation at this situation giving way to gentle, barely there worry at the slightly older mech's plight.

Leader-1 didn't respond vocally, or physically, but there was a small show of gratitude for the worry when Swindle accidentally burnt one of his exposed wires and the more senior mech didn't back-hand, kick or sucker-punch the red 'Con. He simply tightened his free servo into a fist and tolerated it.

**All Under Control:**

Hot Shot moved through the woods stealthily and carefully, ever aware of just how close he was treading near the Decepticon base looking for Sureshock.

Jolt hung on the yellow 'Bots' shoulder like a baby opossum, optics not so intent on finding his orange comrade as he was interested in the sights these particular woods had to offer. Grindor had received memories from Carlos about the place and what Grindor had described led most of the other Mini-cons to be quite curious.

The Cold Mountain woods were supposed to be filled with dangerous plants and fierce beasts, all wanting nothing more than to attack some poor, unsuspecting victim. When the Spaniard had been much smaller, apparently he and Rad had wandered into the scary place and gotten lost. Grindor had gone on to explain how they'd been chased by a pair of walking Bald Cyprus trees that had originally been in the river the two had stopped to drink at and had to be saved by dumb luck from falling into a bog pothole. The young boys had to swim through disgusting green weeds, sludge and tiny little fish for fifteen minutes.

Needless to say, Jolt was now making sure his Autobot partner didn't fall into one of these potholes by keeping a look-out. And the trees. And other things.

"How far away from Sureshock do you think we are?" Hot Shot asked his Mini-con, stabilizing servo taking a timid step over a log that took the opportunity to move in front of him at the last second, the tiny bulbous plants on top of it making to touch him like a set of sparklings' asking for their creator.

Hot Shot let out an almost femme-like shriek and jumped clear over the organic, Jolt holding back a bark of laughter as he looked over the tracking device in his servos,_ "Actually, this says that he should be five… feet ahead."_

Hot Shot looked out before him, but saw nothing but more dark trees with their black, brown and red leaves still weaving together or stretching to touch them and the other unusual plants that Hot Shot was afraid to find out what they could do. The Autobot let his head twist left and right, but still saw nothing.

"_Four feet ahead…"_ Jolt counted down, really surprised at how this was going, "_Three… Two…One?"_

The yellow soldier looked expectantly out ahead of them and still saw nadda, zip, bupkis, zero.

Suddenly and out of the blue, from below the two Transformers, the sound of dead leaves and leaving organic matter formed just behind them and Hot Shot spun around, legs knocking together uncomfortably and he looked to see an orange… thing, coming right out of the Earth. Its little metal body slid out from between some very bendy roots and something that may or may not have been marbled rocks and when it fully surfaced, long metal tail and all, its big yellow optics stared with mild surprise at Hot Shot and Jolt. Both of them had a dead fish expression as it actually transformed in front of them and turned into Sureshock, optics darkening half-way into a close expression of a smile.

"_Hello,"_ And this was followed by a little wave of Sureshock's servo, "_Prime's worried about me, or is it Red Alert?"_

"…I…How did you…" Hot Shot boggled, pointing at the orange mech in front of him.

Jolt actually gave a similar wave at his friend, noticing that the energy coming off of him had changed, along with some of his physical appearance. That could only mean that Sureshock had a partner, somewhere below their feet probably, and Jolt couldn't help but be happy for his friend.

"_Both of them are a little worried, actually,"_ Jolt pointed out happily, enjoying the look Hot Shot was still giving the slightly darker Mini-con, "_But, you're okay. Want a lift back?"_

**Life Savors:**

"Not that I'm ungrateful for your help, but," Starscream paused a moment, still looking at where the gaping holes had once been in the his wings, chest plate and armor, but were now gone thanks to the black creature sitting before him, "Why would you help me? You don't even _like_ me."

Alexis shifted delicately from paw to paw. She had been hoping he would simply be grateful and not ask any questions, but like most everything in her life, that hope had gone south once the dazed and confused mech had woken before she could get off of his chest and pretend she hadn't wasted stored up, extremely vital energy on the wounds sustained by Ironhide and falling down the canyon into the rocky, rapid flowing river.

"It's… It's very complicated," She finally answered.

Starscream gave Alexis a tentative but kind smile at the practically whispered answer, "We've got time."

The black, ripped up ears on top of the female wolf's head looked like little wings the way they flicked down so fast. He was being nice, to her, when he wasn't even nice to his commander. It made her feel weird, like she used to feel when she was little and her mother had scolded her for playing with the boys but at the same time had been proud of her for being so tough.

Despite that, however, she was unsure how to answer something like why she wanted this massive, metal soldier to survive in this so-called life a little longer. The truth would most likely be a stupid thing to tell him. She didn't like telling people the absolute truth if she could possibly help it, except Sureshock. It didn't seem, however, that she was able to lie to Starscream since their first trip to find Swindle in her woods.

"I just didn't want you to die, because, uh, well," She began, a lie forming on her lips, but falling dead as a small surge of what he had been feeling when he'd woken with her on top of him came to mind along with the guilt she thought she'd burned out of her systems years ago, "You seem a little like me. You're much older of course, millions older, but like me you haven't been happy yet. Don't want you to die before experiencing something good."

Starscream's head tilted to the right. This shapeshifter was weird. She wanted him to be happy when nobody else in the universe had even entertained the idea?

"…Thank you?"

Her head tilted in the exact same manner he did, only she had a half-smile on her lips,

"Mm, you're welcome."

**Learning Curb:**

"_The City streets are falling down, While the ground moves around!"_

"_We won't let it get us down!"_

"_We're Cybertronians!"_

Cyclonus, despite his usually very up-beat personality and views on life, was reaching his pain thresh-hold with this obnoxious, horrible excuse for singing on the part of Demolisher's Mini-cons. It was plainly stated as he put both of his servos to his audio receptors and growled, _growled_, at Demolisher, "You've got to make them stop! I can't take it anymore!"

"They can't help it," Demolisher defended, watching Bonecrusher and Blackout scurry along the City tunnels they were travelling through, occasionally adding even more lyrics to their made up song, "They're bored. At least they're singing and not blowing anything up like some 'Cons I know."

"Hey! That was five miles ago!" The helicopter said, apparently offended that the yellow and red tank had brought up his little accident with the sewer system.

"Uh-huh," Demolisher grinned.

Cyclonus gave a huff and walked in front of Demolisher as the larger mech's Mini-cons paused at the base of three tunnel networks Blackarachnia said they'd hit. One was gushing tons of freezing water, one was presenting a mild trickle and the last was completely dry.

"Well," Cyclonus said expectantly at the Bonecrusher and Blackout, "Which one has the new Mini-con?"

Blackout, the Mini-con with the locater, looked down each tunnel and beeped up in a half-frightened tone, "It's either of the ones on the right. I can't really get a better reading than that."

Both of the larger Transformers groaned at the info given. Those were the tunnels with water flowing and neither of them wanted to get any more wet than they already were. However, seeing as Megatron was still waiting outside the tunnel they'd entered, they didn't have much of a choice other than to suck it up and move on. The only big question was which one of them had to go down the tunnel with the slagging cold water?

**Drowning:**

Slipstream's clawed servos clutched desperately if not rather pathetically to the smoothed rocks at the edge of the cliff. She didn't want to die like this! Not with an arrow to the wings and with frozen water ruining her ventilation systems! Where was Sunstorm? Pit, where was Starscream?

"Help! Help me! Somebody!" She cried desperately, vocal processor having a chortled effect with the water working its way into her, freezing important wires.  
Another blast, rather powerful, crashed against her and the rocks, her head disappearing from sight for a moment before she came back up, choking on water and particles of ice and leaves.

"Somebody, anybody! I want out of this! Let me out! Pull me up, please!"

Still spitting up the water, the dark femme Seeker didn't notice the shadow that had settled over her quivering frame. Of course, she wouldn't have noticed it anyway, seeing as she had shut off her optics when her helmed smashed brutally against the rocks. Again, and again, and again.

She only turned on her optics when a light screech sounded from behind. She gave her own little shriek, servos letting go of the rocks as she turned swiftly to find Swoop hovering over her in his pterodactyl form, big blue optics observing her usually strong, determined frame sink in the water.

**Extra Character Profiles… possibly the last ones… hopefully…**

Name: Coby.  
Age: 13.  
Home: Jade Country.  
Second Form: A half-Labrador, quarter-coyote the size of a regular cow. He's borderline platinum blond.  
Ability: Doesn't have any besides shapeshifting.  
Backlash: None.  
Loyalties: Bud, Lori, Rad, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Lockdown, Predators.

Name: Lori.  
Age: 13.  
Home: Jade Country.  
Second Form: Half-Husky, half-wolf a little smaller than Coby. Cream colored with black from her shoulders to the tip of her tail.  
Ability: Glow. She can call on a source of light even in a place as black as pitch and twice as cold.  
Backlash: She can get burned if she doesn't pay enough attention.  
Loyalties: Coby, Bud, the Guard, Sureshock, the Autobots, Sunstorm… kinda.  
Enemies: The Decepticons and the suspicious Herbavores.

Name: Bud.  
Age: 12.  
Home: Jade Country.  
Second Form: A half cream colored Desert fox, half Labrador. About the size of a horse's foal.  
Ability: He's like the human mood ring. He can read other people's aura and tell exactly what they're feeling.  
Backlash: He often finds himself empathetic to even his enemies.  
Loyalties: Coby, Lori, Carlos, Sari, Mikaela, Jolt, the Autobots, the Mini-cons.  
Enemies: The Decepticons and Predators.

Name: Rodimus.  
Series Basis: Animated (because the whole Robin Hood thing makes him look awesome!)  
Alt Mode: Racing Car, obviously.  
Allies: The Autobots, Hot Shot, Red Alert, Ironhide, the Jet twins, Rad, Carlos, Blurr.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Sideways, Cyclonus.

Name: Alice.  
Age: 16.  
Home: White Hills.  
Second Form: A white and blue Secretary Bird, about the size of an ostrich.  
Ability: Just shapeshifting.  
Backlash: None.  
Allies: Mikaela, Sam, Miles, Rad, Lori, Maggie, the Autbots, Banacheck and Simmons.  
Enemies: Predators and Decepticons.

Name: Miles.  
Age: 17.  
Home: The City.  
Second Form: An Ermine, a little smaller than Sam by about four inches.  
Ability: Shapeshifting is it.  
Backlash: None.  
Allies: Sam, Mikaela, Alice, Carlos, some Mini-cons, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons and Predators.

Name: Leo.  
Age: 17.  
Home: Gale Fort for most of the year except December when he goes to White Hills.  
Second Form: Doesn't have one, but he does have gills just under his ears.  
Ability: Breathing under water.  
Backlash: None.  
Allies: Sam, Mikaela, Miles, Alice, the Guard, Simmons, the Autobots.  
Enemies: Predators, poachers, the Decepticons.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:…I got nothin'.

_If love sells, then it should be sold._-Maro, Hokkaido._

**Enemy of the Mark:**

"Shit, I hope I don't bleed to death," Carlos whispered heavily, back still pressed to the wall as he, Rad and Alexis heard three lions pass by the shrubs before Petronas Towers, "That would suck."

The giant black building their backs touched was twenty-some stories high, made entirely of glass with the ancient rules inscribed upon it and they had to get in. Under cover of night. With the whole place surrounded by thorn covered plants and one only knew how many freaking Predators. Of course, tonight would be the night all the Hierarchy gathered for conference.

If they all got out alive, they were so going to beat Simmons to death.

Shadows beyond the bushes gone, all three teens made for the cracked window Banacheck had instructed them to head for in the event that they became surrounded. Needless to say that about now they pretty much were surrounded sans the enemy fully locating them.

Rad moved forward first, his second form leaving hoof prints, albeit light ones, in the muddy ground. Carlos followed hesitantly, Alexis behind him taking the precaution to use her tail to muck up the ground again, leaving no evidence for the horrid giants beyond their cover.

"How, exactly," Carlos whispered again, ears trained forever on Alexis in the event the bitch broke her word and took revenge for all the traps he'd set on her in the last five years, "Are we supposed to get into the building? The window's cracked, not broken, and that means we have to make noise when we knock against it. The lions will be on us like dinner."

Rad shushed the Spaniard. He'd already thought this over and still hadn't come up with a logical plan of action. He couldn't think under these conditions, his head felt like it was going to explode.

"We'll figure it out when we get there."

**Fantasy and Fact:**

Prowl let his fingers trace delicately over the thick human book, the only part of it that was remotely damaged. Much of the section he had been reading was quite fascinating and pulled him into the worlds and stories the words spoke of. Now, just after the end of 'The Ugly Duckling', he had to stop short. The story that was supposed to follow was, according to the index and title page, 'Blue Beard'. But, the pages were torn carefully out, only small traces of the paper in the seams left as evidence that there had even been a story there once. The story after Blue Beard was left completely unharmed and intact, 'The Little Mermaid', along with everything else and he had gotten curious.

Why would anyone tear out a fine piece of literature?

Now, standing before Sari and Rad, the dark Autobot was getting his answer to the question that had been bothering him.

Sari looked up at him with her head tilted and Rad was giving him a sort of melancholy stare that spoke just how much he knew about the missing pages in question. Prowl could recall having a look like that on his face for a very long period of time after one of his best friends died or another Autobot city had fallen. It didn't look good on the blonds' face and the cyber-ninja made a mental note never to make him look like this again if he could possibly help it.

"Rad?" Sari spoke in a questioning tone, hand giving a small tug on the tall young man's robe. She didn't like the look on his face either.

The teen blinked a couple times and gave a small cough to clear his throat before answering the question,

"I took it out. About three and a half years ago."

Prowl hesitated at his next question, but only just barely, "Why?"

"Because," Rad said, almost snarling actually, "It's nothing but a lie. All the other stories had a small semblance of the truth about them, but that one was an utter and complete farce."

"What about it was so wrong?" Prowl asked gently, allowing Sari to move behind his head. Rad's presence had suddenly gotten very hostile in the span of a few moments and she could smell the anger coming off of him in waves that frightened her terribly. Rad was always so calm and collected, almost like the Prime, so one of them had most likely brought up a sore subject and neither wanted to make it worse.

Rad swayed his head, shaking a little at the end and collected some air to calm himself down before he explained such a complicated thing to an alien robot and an eight year old girl.

"The ending was wrong," He explained slowly, "In every ending to the story of Blue Beard, there's someone always charging in to save the damsel in distress. Whether it's her sister and her brothers or just her brothers is immaterial. All that remains is that the woman has someone to depend on."

Here the blond started waving his hand dismissively before his face in annoyance at his own words. Prowl didn't like the cold, angry look on his face that formed with the motion.

"When in actuality," Rad added, "Any woman in that situation would probably be alone with the raving lunatic and fight him herself or try her best to get away. That's the truth, and anyone who says otherwise is an idiot."

**Bring Your Kid to Work:**

"I'm glad you're here, Perceptor," Optimus greeted calmly, a hidden smile under his battle mask directed at the scientist, "The Dinobots are starting to get finicky and they won't stop walking into Cold Mountain. I need you to tell them yourself that they _can't_ go in there without an escort. _Please."_

The lithe scientist mech with the yellow glasses and the rather simple, mechanical vocal processor stood before his leader with a bit of a perplexed look on his face. Or, it would have stayed perplexed and not surprised if said leader were not pushing him down the dirt floor of the Earth base five seconds after his arrival to see Perceptor's own creations. Very strange behavior from Prime, but he'd seen worse from Red Alert or even Prowl after spending years apart.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"I will be as soon as you have that conversation with the Dinobots," Optimus answered truthfully. When they reached the door through which the subtle growls of one of the reptilian mechs could be heard, along with the beeps of Sparkplug, Grindor and Sureshock with Carlos and Sari laughing, the Prime wasted no seconds to push the now curious mech through and settle on the bizarre scene.

In what Perceptor would classify as a very well made cave with furniture, Snarl was spinning in circles in that agitated way he did, chasing an orange, odd looking Mini-con who had decided to perch on his tail. The said Mini-con looked less than impressed as Snarl stumbled and got back up, the two other Mini-cons to the side cheering their friend on about… whatever he was doing. Sitting in the midst of utter humor on one of the tiny (by Transformer standards) sofas, two organics sat laughing.

Perceptor didn't look too surprised by one of his more aggressive creations acting the way he was, or even the strange Mini-cons. He was more surprised that Prime had let organics into the base. Young ones, by their behavior and looks, too.

"As you can see," The blue semi spoke to his chief scientist, kindly lifting his foot as Snarl's tail, and the Mini-con upon it, made a swipe his way, "The Dinobots going into Cold Mountain means that Sureshock becomes unhappy. And around here, when Sureshock is unhappy, he tortures the Transformers who make him unhappy, AKA your creations. So please, talk to them."

Before Prime could walk away to go do whatever the commander of the entire Autobot army did on this weird planet, Perceptor took hold of his arm. Took a very tight hold.

"Sir, why are there organics here? They could contaminate us!"

Optimus allowed, just for a moment, his optic ridges to rise at the behavior Perceptor exhibited. Usually, if not always, only Sentinel acted like this toward fleshlings and organics in general and seeing Perceptor act like this was nothing short of hilarious.

"They're here, because technically we're their guests and if they wanted, could probably kick us off the face of the Earth," Optimus said, using the voice one used with small younglings and sparklings, "And here, we call them humans. These ones in particular are called Carlos and Sari."

"What up!" Carlos called back by way of greeting. His head didn't turn from the sight of Snarl falling down again, this time unable to get up because his processor was spinning. The orange mech on his tail waved a servo in front of the triceratops' optics, and when he got zero response, leapt off the tail and strolled out of the room with a little skip.

Perceptor let his optics follow the little mech for a moment before looking back at Optimus, "Um, sir, who exactly is Sureshock?"

"You just saw him leave," Optimus answered, unhooking Perceptor's servo from his arm and moving once more down the hall himself, "And don't worry too much about Snarl, he'll be up in an hour to chase Sureshock again without even remembering why he passed out. Until then, _talk to your creations."_

**Like a Puppy, Kinda:**

"He imprinted on you!"

Lugnut looked venomously at Demolisher as Wreck-Gar scurried under his stabilizing servos in his alt mode. The little tail Wreck-Gar had created for himself slipped up and down Lugnut's leg as he chased Swindle, Blackout and Leader-1 for the fun of it. Having a kitten form as an alt mode meant that he had to learn how to chase down smaller creatures and catch them, but so far he'd yet to do any such thing without knocking over something fragile or making Lugnut, Thrust and Soundwave topple all over themselves.

"Shut up, groundpounder," The purple Decepticon growled, picking the orange junkbot up by the scruff he'd supplied himself with, to get him to stop his shenanigans before Megatron saw this and kicked him. Or the both of them. Or anyone else in the room.

"Admit it," Demolisher continued, his own Mini-con stopping before him as he had gotten tired of running about with the others, "He imprinted on you like a baby duck and you can't shake him off even if you wanted to."

"And why would I want to," Lugnut snapped, "He could be useful to Megatron's glorious plans upon this wretched dirt ball of a planet."

"Dirt ball? Where?" Wreck-Gar asked curiously, head twisting all the way around like an owl on speed as Lugnut set the little freak onto his back.

"You're such a good momma."

"Hmph!"

**Consider My Friends, the Secretive Life:**

Lori picked at the corset upon Alice's silky white skin with the beginnings of pure and absolute pity in her eyes. She had tried to get some sugary food into the room for the princess, but with that horrible excuse for an escort at post before the door to the dressing room, that was a no-go. The poor birdy…

Alice sighed again just before Lori helped tie up the back to her lavender gown with the ruffled front, "I don't suppose you could toss me out of that window to be eaten by Payatami? I really don't want to go out like this."

Lori clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, "Payatami are giant butterflies, they don't eat humans and if you really don't want to go out then I might suggest just hitting your "nanny" on the head with that lovely rose pot on the balcony."

"I couldn't do that!" The young woman gasped, her friend giving a devious grin at the door to the room, "That would be against my vows!"

"Then enjoy wearing that dress, sugar, because there's no chance of anything happening without affirmative action."

Alice's wings drooped. Sometimes she thought her friend was the devil, despite all acts to help her get out of the palace as often as possible. All she wanted to do today was meet those Autobots and the Guard and yet she couldn't because, go figure, she had to be at another swanky party with lots of men trying to court her into marriage. She swore, if she never saw another high priced wine or champagne again, it would be too soon.

The younger girl's ears twitched, her tail doing a little double flick at her friend's forlorn look.

"Affirmative action?" Lori suggested once more, the devious look returning to her in a blink. The fingers of her right hand glowed lightly as well in the tell-tale sign of her having the usual plan to blow out all the lights in the palace for a clean get away.

**Sleep Hurts:**

"Ooohhh," Alexis groaned almost pleasantly in her slumber for the first time in years, her limbs thrashing about in a nearly attractive display as she unconsciously rubbed up beside Bumblebee in the makeshift hole she'd dug.

The yellow Autobot twitched at the feeling in his stasis. His systems didn't want to respond to the touch, but he had the feeling that it may be Sari. She often rolled off of his servos during the night and he didn't want to wake up to her on the ground and under his stabilizing servos.

Optics lighting up dimly, Bumblebee looked down to see Sari still in his palms, but he still felt something soft wiggling near his ped.

Bending over ever so slightly, the speedster was surprised to see Alexis making the weirdest sounds as she writhed in the hole she'd dug for her in Sureshock. He probably should have been curious as to where the Mini-con had gone off to, but he was still trying to wrap his processor around the fact that the angry black wolf could look just so cute when she slept. Not as cute as Sari since the display was also very creepy, but cute enough.

Acting on pure instinct, the Autobot bent over a little more and gently slipped Sari into his left servo so he could, stupid as it may be, use his right servo to delicately tickle the furry black creature that in most people (and 'Bots) opinion should take an anger management course.

In retrospect, he probably should have known that she'd wake up.

"Mmm… A bath… A facial…A…" She started, but stopped short when her eyes opened, focused and saw that the yellow and black insect who annoyed her was actually prodding her belly.

"An insect!"

Both of them flinched noticeably, but only she did a back-flip onto her paws and scurried under the table she'd taken up residence below ever since Rad had dragged her to the Autobot base for stitches. She only allowed her head to pop back out to deliver an expected insult that by now the young compact had come to appreciate because it meant she considered him as more than something to chase and rip to pieces.

"You're the ugliest thing I've ever woken up to."

"I'm sure that's not entirely true," Bumblebee replied back half-heartedly, helm leaning back and his processor taking less than a few seconds to fall back into recharge. Snoring followed soon after.

**Memory is a Funny Thing:**

Carlos was really a nice guy. Not too strong, but clever and quick thinking. He'd lived most of his life under certain rules and ideals established by his father. And despite that, sometimes in the dead of night, when the air was still and the crickets chirped, he really hated himself for it.

Rolling in his bed made of dead leaves and hair from his second form, the young man often found that he couldn't sleep because of some phantom dream or memory. In those nights, when he was sure that his father was out or impossibly asleep, he pulled up a board under some silt that covered a box filled with pictures of his childhood and the ones he'd spent it with.

So early into reminiscence, he always moved the front stack, tied in and old ribbon, to the bottom until he was ready. Many times, Carlos looked at one picture in particular for up to fifteen minutes.

Held in his tanned, strong hands was a photo of him and Rad when they were eight. Their abilities had been far from manifested and they could only dream of having a secondary form, but they still had so much fun anyway. They were playing a version of tag known in Red Plain as 'Pounce'. Carlos was displayed with both hands just about to clasp onto Rad's shoulder and the blond boy turning with a surprised look on his face. Both of them had just received the red smocks that symbolized their training directly under Keller. If he squinted, Carlos could vaguely make out their leader hiding in the bushes.

Allowing a small smile to grace his lips, the young man flipped to the next picture. This one had featured Fred and Billy just before their parents had travelled to The City with them. The two had been eleven and a half and Billy was showing off the request his parents had been sent, offering their little boy a chance in the Guard. Fred was grinning up at his friend in heart-felt joy, although that may have been because he was eating freshly picked strawberries from his mother's garden. Carlos had to admit that he missed those two goof offs a lot when he was down. They were always so good for a laugh.

The Spaniard was tempted to put the pictures back at that point, he'd made himself a little happier and wanted to go to sleep without any deep thoughts. But, he couldn't. Despite his want to fall into slumber, he needed to complete the ritual he'd unwillingly made up for himself since he was fourteen.

With a sigh he hadn't known had been in him, Carlos flipped to the one picture that when he was much younger used to bring him such pride, but now only managed to make him melancholy and angry at the same time.

The picture in his hands, rumpled and a little dusty despite its use to him, showed a piece of time stilled on print of himself, Rad and Alexis. They were each a month or so away from their coming of age ceremony and were hugging before the camera man. Alexis was bent over, dressed in her old blue and yellow smock that would soon be replaced by a blood stained black pelt. He and Rad were standing behind her, Rad blushing madly as Carlos set his hand behind the blonde's head to pull his fingers into bunny ears in an attempt to embarrass Rad even more then he already was. Both young men had been wearing a much larger red cloak with brown metal shoulder pads, giving them both the appearance of a pair of knights who'd just saved a damsel.

'_A damsel…'_

Absently, Carlos ran his fingers in a circle around Alexis' visage. She had been so sweet and kind, and so pretty, too. He would have bet his life in those days that when she came of age, she would have been the most beautiful young doe anywhere. And now he had to hate her for being some poor, ugly wretch not fit to be any part of his life.

Sometimes he really loved his life. He'd found a wonderful mate in a Mini-con that was ten times better than any woman he could have found and he had the best friend in the whole universe…. But, sometimes, in the dead of night, he hated his life. He'd tried to kill one of his dear friends and he couldn't stop his anger at her for being what she was.

If denial was a river somewhere, he was pretty sure he'd be drowning in it.

…**Okay, apparently, I was wrong and I have a few character profiles left. But, that's all! And if I really need to add anyone else, I'll just make an executive decision and just add them into the fic without a profile because that just takes up too much space…. Sorry…**

Name: Raoul.  
Age: 17.  
Series Basis: G1 and the highly attractive pictures on deviantArt by mucun.  
Home: The City.  
Second Form: A tan Mutt Hound the same size as Carlos.  
Ability: Teleportation.  
Backlash: He's always afraid he'll become stuck in a wall.  
Allies: Tracks, Carlos, Rad, Sam, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons, Predators.

Name: Tracks.  
Series Basis: G1 and the awesome pics by mucun at deviantArt (they're so hot!)  
Alt Mode: A Corvette.  
Allies: Raoul, a few humans, Ironhide, the Autobots.  
Enemies: The Decepticons and (in more a matter out of spite than anything else) the Mini-cons.

Name: Strika.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Alt Mode: I'm not really sure, but I'm thinking a tank for now.  
Allies: Megatron, Lugnut, Slipstream, the Decepticons.  
Enemies: The Autobots, humans.

Name: Rosanna.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Alt Mode: A motorcycle and because she loves Earth so much, a rabbit.  
Allies: The Autobots, the Mini-cons, the humans, the Dinobots…. A few Decepticons that can't bring themselves to hit her…. Small animals…. Insects…. You get the idea.  
Enemies: The Decepticons… kinda.

Name: Glyph.  
Series Basis: Animated.  
Alt Mode: A motorcycle.  
Allies: The Autobots, the humans, the Mini-cons.  
Enemies: Decepticons.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: If I owned this franchise, would I be here? No.  
**_Your problem is you have to get more fun out of life. –Silence of the Lambs.

* * *

_**Dance for the Sake of Dancing:**

* * *

"Bebop, a rhythm. This City has a beat."

A dashing red face scrunched up in uncertainty as Tracks observed Raoul jump from window sill to window sill, illustrating his point to the Cybertronian. The mutt certainly had a taste for the flashy, Tracks was sure of that much. And he hadn't stopped talking for the last half-hour about why he danced on the streets for money or lived in The City when he could make it anywhere.

"A rhythm? Strange use of words," Tracks muttered, following in the dirty alley after the young man, "Although, I will admit that this City isn't like anything I've been to before. It's so… I don't know. Exciting."

**One Side Will Make You Grow Shorter:**

Sari, in retrospect, should have known better than to let her curiosity get the best of her.

Pinned down to the ground by strong orange servos made into paws, Sari felt, for the first time in a long time, actually afraid of Sureshock. He never raised his voice around her and was fun to play with, but she knew through so many of the other Mini-cons that he hated it when anyone or anything followed him down that giant sized rabbit hole. He had left slashes across Rad's arms the first time he caught the stag poking his head down the run and the kitten had the worst feeling that he may very well be considering doing something worse to her.

Sureshock's optics glowed with an almost supernatural light as the dark brown kitten's ears folded back and her body trembled beneath him. She had already gone limp to show just how submissive she wanted to appear and her eyes were showing their white edges.

He didn't like hurting the humans, and he wouldn't hurt this one, but he would make sure that she would never come back to his partner's home. He just had to think of a way.

**Maliargum:**

"Wow… Just, wow."

For the first time ever, really, Bulkhead looked up at Prowl from his position on the ground, completely in awe of how different everything looked from the height of eight feet. Only a little taller than the tallest human, Bulkhead wasn't sure how to react.

Beside the slack-jawed Prowl, Glyph was on her servos and knee struts to get a better look at her new friend and his change. Bulkhead wasn't sure if he should be uncomfortable at the way she was looking at him, like he was a specimen under a microscope. He didn't think so, she was nice and thoughtful enough not to poke and prod at him like he knew Perceptor would. She had a sweet smile on her face and seemed to be repressing the urge to giggle like some of the femmes back home did at the sight of someone so tiny. He was bigger than a Mini-con, but still!

"How," Prowl questioned, fingers scratching his chin in thought, "Did this happen? Did you ingest something you shouldn't have or did one of the humans do this?"

Bulkhead twiddled his digits.

"Well, Sparkplug left this weird little human liquid in a vile on the rec. room table. When he left I wanted to see what it was. I guess when I picked it up I squeezed it too hard and it flew up and out of my grasp. I tried to catch it, but it hit the ceiling and then somehow made it into my mouth and… I swallowed it. Now here I am."

Prowl visor shifted as his optics ridges rose at the little story presented to him. Glyph was practically shaking with suppressed laughter now and she held her servos to her lips to stifle the giggles that slipped from her lips.

"Oh, Bulkhead, how do you get mixed up in these things?" Prowl sighed, "Well, nothing we can really do now, except to go and find Sparkplug. You don't happen to know where he went, do you?"

Bulkhead tilted his head in thought. A few seconds later, his optics widened and a terrified look crossed his face.

"Er, well, he left with Mirage, Sonar and Runway, so I guess that means they went into the woods," The now very small mech said, shivering at the thought of the dark forest at the edge of the Red Plain.

**Pouring Inspiration:**

Above Sam's head, at least fourteen holes in the ceiling streamed ounce upon ounce of Cocaine.

In the far corners of his mind, he made two small notes. One, he had to remember not to go anywhere near Captain Fanzone when Billy sent in the report on this and two, not to inhale. Considering this crap belonged to Henry-frickin'-Masterson, who knew what could happen if this got into his systems. Maybe some hallucinations and a seizure thrown in for good measure.

While the young Guardsman looked on in a mixture of horror and wonder, Billy was grabbing a Gale Fort vase off of the fireplace and tossing out the floral decorations and water. After which, he held it up to one of the streams of Cocaine and let it settle within.

When the vase was half full, Billy moved over to Sam and put it before the younger man, "Could you hold this while I go fish Masterson's journal out from under his ten million dollar sheets? Thanks."

Before the son of the Matriarch of The City could even remotely object, he was grasping the vase before it hit the ground, a small plume of the drug flying into the air and onto his hair. Sam clutched the newly made drug carrier, but his right hand flashed through the small trail of Cocaine, "Oh, God, get it out, get it out, get it out!"

Billy called back through the wall as some of the ten million dollar sheets were thrust into the hall, "Calm down, it only acts as a numbing agent if it's on your skin."

"You're having me carry a vase of Cocaine, we couldn't catch Masterson, the man's house is ruined and you want me to be calm?"

"I could always go downstairs and have Miles carry it around."

"…Point."

**Fluke:**

Sweeping through the underground library of Red Plain, Rad searched the very back for books that most young men wouldn't for all the world wish to read. But, the red elk needed to find that stupid book. He wanted to know more about why Keller didn't want Alexis, despite her being a descendant of one of the greatest Pre-cogs in the world and why she'd even be… the way she was.

Blue eyes searching for that long spine and old fashioned text, Rad gave a small gasp of happiness when he found it, '_Infections,_ _Curses and Mutations of Genetics.'_

Taking a long breath, Rad blew over the cover and coughed when at least a decade's worth of dust flew up. Pulling it from the shelf, the young man set it onto a table, sitting down and making himself comfortable. He would probably be there for hours, the book was thick and some of the words were in calligraphy. Oh well, he had nothing better to do.

Half an hour into reading disorders on having two zebras for parents, Rad finally landed in the section he wanted. Curses, just what he wanted.

"Let's see," Rad muttered quietly, "Spots, Skin Disease, Semi-Eternal Youth, Lost Souls—Flukes!"

Allowing himself a moment of pride for spending this much time reading, Rad mentally prepared to be either very disappointed or rewarded in his time spent on someone who, in the deepest reaches of his psyche, he still thought of as a friend.

'_**Fluke**__: The child who is the result of two generations of strong bloodlines and multiple genetic factors that can lead to these two bloodlines producing a Predator.'_

"That'd be Alexis," Rad sighed, reading on.

_'When these two bloodlines clash, some problems can arise in the genetic structure of their offspring, leading the Herbivore mother's body to react badly during the pregnancy period. Her body adds too many of certain abilities, which ninety-nine percent of the time can lead to miscarriage. In the one percent of women who manage to give birth, the child has a ninety percent chance of being a female. The ten percent that are male, most often, if not always, die before they reach ten years old._

'Because the child does not reach their coming of age until they are twelve years old, the parent if unaware of anything being wrong. However, certain signs can be picked up. Because the male will always die, there is no way to tell, however, there are many signs in the females. She may be extremely intelligent, be more nimble than the average girl, get into trouble and become defiant when confronted with authority.

'One of the few good things that can come from giving birth to a Fluke is that in a strong family unit, it will serve as an excellent defender from other Predators. If it is produced into less than ideal conditions, it may simply be better to send it into exile or (and this is only in extreme conditions) executed.'

Rad let his mind go over the last lines for a few moments. He could understand how the person who wrote this book- Archibald Witwicky-was from a different time and had his reasons for writing that, but, descending to the murder of one of their own? Wasn't that a bit extreme?

Then it hit him. This book was as old, if not older, than Keller. He'd actually been the one who'd read and brought in these books.

Not even thinking clearly, Rad clutched the pages under his fingers. Some of the paper crinkled and one even tore out completely. That fascist ass had gotten rid of, tried to kill, one of his best friends because of the opinions of one—he looked at the back of the book for a moment—dead old man.

Standing out of his seat, Rad grabbed the book and walked with all the airs of a Reaper up the staircase of the underground library. He really needed to give this information to Carlos first. _Then_ he'd find a way to make Keller miserable.

**Fatal Attraction:**

The Decepticon triple-changer tried not to flinch in amusement as Blackarachnia came into the makeshift training room with Slipstream trailing behind her with two full cubes of energon. If the techno-organic saw him so much as smile her way, she'd more than likely beat the grin off his three faces.

The spider lady was literally sweating, her movements seemed painful even from his position twenty feet away and her optics were hazed over in what he could vaguely distinguish as somewhere between lust and pain.

Waiting until the femme Seeker left to find Sunstorm, Blitzwing sidled up to the techno-organic with his creepy jack-o-lantern face grinning.

Delicately tapping Blackarachnia on the shoulder, Blitzwing asked, "Well, aren't we looking pretty today?"

With speed he was pretty sure should have been impossible for her to react with under such conditions, the dark femme transformed into her spider form, sent a web up the cave ceiling, scurried up and snapped down at him, "STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!"

With that, she made way to the top of the ceiling and climbed the wall out to the halls, muttering curses the triplechanger had never heard before. Blitzwing's Random face was no longer smiling, but left with an extremely surprised façade, mouth in an 'O' position and optics like twin moons. In all his years working with the femme, she had never had a reaction such as that without sending some of her webbing at whatever face occupied his head. Or a shot of her venom, or a kick to the groin area.

"Must look into this…" Blitzwing's Icy face said, rubbing his chin in thought.

**Ask the Specialist:**

"_Sureshock!"_

The frog that in the orange Mini-con's grasp, with the warning called out, quickly leapt from its place on the lily pad and the called upon mech let out a startled cry when he not only hit the river, but dived in.

Orange optics narrowed as he caught sight of the world below the water. In his wolf form, Sureshock observed five fish moving around his ear shells, little water bubbles coming up from lily pad stalks and the faint light showing through the running water. All very pretty, but as he looked up at the visage looking down into river, Sureshock let out a garbled growl. He swam for the surface, though. He couldn't very well teach Mirage a lesson while he was submerged.

Head peeking out from the water, Mirage was confronted with a very irate Mini-con, but he paid it no mind as he was in a personal crisis.

"_Sureshock! Thank Primus! I really need your help with something! It's important!"_ Sureshock asked sarcastically, pulling himself out of the water and taking an extra moment to walk over to Mirage before shaking off. Most of the Mini-cons that spent time with the orange mech hadn't been able to grasp the ability to move their form so liberally, but Sureshock was a bit of a freak, so they didn't question him. Mirage simply kept his mouth shut when the water rested on him. He wasn't about to complain when he needed his companion's help.

"No, really?"

"_Yeah,"_ Mirage stated, "_It's about Cliffjumper. He's been… acting weird."_

"Weird? Cliffjumper should be a definition for weird. Be more specific."

Mirage tilted his head up in thought, _"Well, he's been distant with me lately. And he's been hanging around Blurr and Hot Shot. He didn't use to like them and I'm thinking that maybe, he's… you know, interested in one of them."_

"_Why do you care?"_ Sureshock asked, one optic turning into a half-moon. He most likely knew where this was already heading, but he liked to have all the facts before he made a diagnosis. If he didn't have all the facts, then he had to resort to using the traces of the ability Alexis had bestowed upon him, and he hated that. The ache it gave his processor was like getting beaten over the head with a rock.

"_He's my partner,"_ Mirage stated hesitantly, with a little trace of jealousy in his voice, "_I have to look out for his best interests."_

Ah, there it was. Sureshock knew this would happen eventually down the line for these two. Their differences made for a perfect match.

"_Oh, Mirage,"_ The orange mech 'tsked' condescendingly, resting a paw on the other's shoulder, _"Such utter bullshit. I expected better."_Mirage stuttered, moving a step away from Sureshock.

"E-Excuse me?"

"_If you're worried about him interfacing with those two, don't be. He'd far more interested in screwing you. So stop beating around the bush and go ask him to do something. Shoot something for all I care, but go away. I was busy, and still am. I have no time to deal with this Academy Days slag. Go."_

Before the blue Mini-con could stutter a response to the multitude of discourtesy in not only the suggestions, but the orders, Sureshock turned back to the river and dove in. No doubt he was looking for another frog or toad or whatever it was.

Oddly, Mirage felt a little more sure of himself, though.

**Touch, Touch, Yikes:  
**  
Sun kissed optics flared dangerously as Red Alert continued to patch up Starscream's shattered wing. The medic wouldn't have minded so much, but it was getting tiresome not only trying to keep the busted wing still while the blue mech used his laser scalpel, but because Starscream had been accompanied by Swindle and the little monster was skittering under their stabilizing servos with Sparkplug and Longarm. Although, the medic's Mini-con was more or less just trying to keep the red Mini-con from breaking something.

"You're doing it again," Starscream snapped, his wing breaking free from Red Alert's grip once more.

"Doing what?" Red Alert asked, almost rhetorically.

Starscream pointed to the deep seams in his wings, one in particular glowing with a soft florescent light reminiscent of the fireflies the Jet twins had caught in glass jars two nights ago. Unlike all the other seams and besides the glowing, it also sparked in a way that caused Red Alert to flinch in apathy.

The medic cycled his vents. Even with only having one actual servo, he still managed to touch the sparking seam every few minutes and he felt frustrated that he, a medic, couldn't avoid it. He had wished to seal that first but then he caught the energon seeping out of Starscream's base of his wings. Leaking injuries took president over electric injuries and now he was stuck with Starscream's belly-aching every time he made a tiny mistake.

One would think he'd be used to this with Hot Shot and the twins, but NO. Now he had to tolerate the enemy doing the same thing. It was too much, just too much.

Turning from the always sneering Seeker, Red Alert made for the cupboard and pulled out a small spray can of something Starscream couldn't make out on the writing, but wasn't too concerned over since the Autobot medic was handling it. If Red Alert handled something, and unless it was a rifle of some sort, than he had oh so little to worry about.

Hence, the reason he hissed like a startled cat when Red Alert aimed the spray at the Seeker's sparking seam and water, electric and sludge resistant plastic covered it completely.

Swindle spared his partner a glance and gave a short bark of laughter at the look on the red, white and black mech's faceplate. The last time Starscream looked like that, he'd walked in on Demolisher and Slipstream 'doing it' in the monitor room.

**Nervous in Paradise:**

"Annabelle. Annabelle…Annabelle!"

Through the repetition of the dusty golden foal's designation, Ironhide tried to remain passive as he introduced himself for the first time, but it was so difficult. She didn't respond at all, she just yawned and went back to nursing under her mother, tiny and wobbly legs working hard to keep her standing up for the process.

Sarah Lennox, in her secondary form of a gorgeous mare, gave a kind smile Ironhide's way before going back to grazing the sweet shoots of early spring grass.

The Weapons Specialist grumbled and turned to Will, arms crossed and looking every bit as undignified as any bot the stallion had ever met, "Is her name really Annabelle? She is unresponsive, so perhaps you're wrong about her title?"

Will laughed at his friend's misunderstanding, "No, Ironhide. It's most definitely her name, she just doesn't know it yet. She was only born a month ago and can't even speak yet. Give it time."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters are the property of Hasbro/Takara forever.

* * *

_She didn't have any friends. She only had acquaintances that she could control. - CSI: New York._

* * *

-  
Black On White:

A dusty cloud of snow settled atop Bud's head and inside his clothes, but he ignored the biting cold that pricked at his skin as his clever blue eyes watched Alexis trying to avoid Carlos. She was still clawing at the ice of the frozen river, thick claws scraping in to relieve her agitation after the Spaniard and she had gotten into another shouting match.

Bud really didn't like going against Lori's wishes, but he wanted to get a closer look at a real wolf.

Frankly, what he saw was perplexing. Lori was only half a wolf and she could probably beat this creature down in less than a minute. Where Lori was lithe and graceful, with a sharp tongue and well defined wit, Alexis was just plain thin and walked with an obvious limp in both her left legs. He heard her speak to Carlos with what Bud had been trained to identify as suppressed rage, as though she were stupid, but he could tell she was as intelligent, if not more so, than Lori herself.

She was also so _small_. Coby told him about the Predators he'd seen when he'd been out with Miles and Leo in Gale Fort and when Bud had heard Rad mention Alexis, he'd expected her to be the size of a giraffe or an elephant. What he saw was someone who barely topped Coby's own height and kept herself low to the ground so she looked even smaller.

Shifting to his own secondary form, Bud moved forward beneath the pine trees, tiny paws leaving prints that looked more like a cats and eyes and ears keeping on the alert in case Coby or Lori interrupted his little mission of intelligence. He wanted to read her aura.

It was rude to read other sentient beings' aura, he knew, but he'd already looked over Rad and Carlos and wanted to see this other being that came with the Mini-cons from the land of the Red Plain. Rad was filled with a lot of compassion, love, bravery, empathy and pity. Carlos read of courage, loyalty, false cheer, uncertainty and anger. Both had a degree of guilt in them about something old and new that Bud couldn't place.

He steadied his breathing until he was sure that she couldn't hear him and stopped about fifteen feet away from where she was standing on the ice. Her paws that were much smaller than Lori's, scarred and dripping water, had broken the ice and were trying to pull out a few frozen fish, but she hadn't seemed to notice him.

The blonde mixed pup's eyes dimmed fantastically as he focused in to read her from his spot where he could just make out her emotions. What little there were, anyways. The cosmic energy that radiated through all things rolled off of her in short, sporadic waves like he had never seen before. Whereas Rad exuded an aura the color of the sun when it rose in the early morning in the spring, and Carlos had the essence of a flying redbreast above the sea… Alexis radiated something similar the fog wafting off a swamp in the fall. Green mist. Odd.

When he squinted his eyes and changed focus, he could just barely pick up on a few very dim emotions… Calmness… Disdain… Hurt… Shame… Fear… A deep sadness….

Bud wasn't certain if he should be confused or sickened. He'd never picked up on emotions that left a person completely numb on the inside, like she was already dead but still moving around, and he found he didn't like it. Not at all.

**Manila and Tea:**

Grimlock bowed his head towards the floor in an attempt to get a much closer look at the tiny Decepticon Mini-con that the T-Rex was pretty sure wasn't supposed to be in the Autobot base. He was carrying a little paper envelope thingy and was trying to hide beneath the bushes the ninjabots used to sit under for long periods of time. The hiding was happening without much success.

Having not admitted that he was indeed seen and soon to be caught by the massive monstrosity that towered over him, Frenzy remained in his catty alt mode, a set of branches held beside his head by his tail in an attempt to look like a part of the tree. He would not let his mission be ruined by a Dinobot of all Cybertronians! Granted, he was the biggest and the leader, but he would not be foiled! Not when Barri-Barri had threatened him with a bath in salt water if he did so…

**Death Warrant:**

"What do you want Rad?"

Despite his insane but instilled instinct and want to get the hell out of that burrow more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life, at the moment Rad kept his stance calm and collected. Even as Alexis stared at him with those glowing teal eyes while simultaneously chewing on the carcass of a large bass she'd caught earlier.

Sureshock was in his alt mode, head atop the crook of Alexis' haunches and eying Rad and High Wire as they stood before the pumpkin mech's partner with nothing short of fear on their faces. It amused him greatly when Rad cleared his throat to start asking for help. Or stuttering, depending on how he looked at it.

"I… I need your advice on something important. If you'd care to give it."

Alexis let go of the fish for a second to raise a brow at the young man, "Obviously it's important if you came to _me_ of all people. If you want advice, get to the point or get out."

Rad should have expected as much from the black wolf. Moving his hand out from beneath his sleeve, the blond revealed at the dead center of his right palm, a pure black spot that had been burned into his skin by sources unknown to him. It hurt and was impossible to get out, smelled of iron and had caused his father to have a panic attack when his son had showed it to him.

The Post-cog before him knew all this when he stumbled into her chamber, but it didn't stop the bristling of her back fur at the sight of it. Her eyes that glowed as a reflex to confrontation, increased in the fierceness and brightness and she gave off a dark growl.

"So, you do know why I'm here? What this is?" Rad asked worriedly, High Wire settling closer to his side as the young wolf got up from her dent in the floor and sniffed at the mark.

She sniffed again before looking back up at him and curving back her lips to reveal her sharp teeth in what could have been a wicked smile, "That's the Black Spot. Who did you piss off so badly to get the Black Spot of all things?"

"Black Spot?"

"A death sentence enforced by any Predator an Herbivore marked with it should come across. Keller explained this when you were nine, I remember."

Rad had to suppress the urge to shiver at the way she'd said that. He remembered the lecture the old man had given every male in the tribe, and that the females didn't know anything about it. Bar Alexis, that is. Knowing her, she'd found the information in the underground library or from him and Carlos by simply touching them.

"Do you know who gave it to me?"

"Maybe. It's a little mixed up, but I could narrow it down if you should…" Here she paused to consider her words, "Scratch at it a little."

"Eh?"

"Scratch its center!"

The blond jumped a little at the command, but did as he was told, left hand digging into his own skin enough to draw a small drop of blood. It didn't hurt, but he absently noted that this would leave an uncomfortable scab.

She leaned in and gave a strong intake of breath, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she checked all the scents and the memories that came with it. Information and energy, no matter how small, left a long, detailed trail in its wake and it was a pain in the ass trying to go through all of it. But, in the end, she found what she was looking for.

When she re-opened her eyes, Rad noted that there was dark amusement that easily flowed into her words, "The mark was set upon you by that flea-bag Masterson, but the one who cursed you with it was Galloway. Of all the Predators to anger Rad, I'd have thought you to at least have enough sense to stay out of _his_ business."

"He was going to kill Professor Sumdac," Rad defended, "I couldn't just let that happen. Sari would have been orphaned."

"And now your life is in peril," Alexis remarked offhandedly, for all the world seeming as if the situation meant nothing to her, "So, was it worth it?"

"Yes."

The statement echoed through the burrows for a quiet moment. Both the teens looked at each other with their own thoughts running rampant. Rad hadn't raised his voice at the statement, but it was obvious that he had wanted to with her looking at him with an unreadable expression he had come to think she only used on Carlos when he said something particularly hurtful or stupid to her. He was smart enough to know not to badmouth her for any reason, so he could guess what she was thinking about him. The word 'idiot' came to mind.

The wolf broke eye contact first and gave a tired sigh. She had to admit, Rad had balls, so she'd cut him a break for now.

"Is there something else you want? I know that you could have guessed who cursed you and you wouldn't come all the way down here for something you already knew. So, what is it that you were hoping to accomplish by coming to see me?"

Oh, he'd hoped she wouldn't ask that. He should have expected her to read him, but it would have been nice to leave without awkward conversations.

Rad scratched the back of his neck and gave a nervous laugh at both the situation and the way that both his old friend and her Mini-con were looking at him suspiciously, "Well…. Not to be asking too much of you, but I was kinda hoping that there was a chance that you… knew… how to get it off?"

**A Dream Come True:**

"_Greetings."_

From his place on the floor of the base he'd chosen for his troops upon Earth, Megatron inhaled sharply and formed a face of horror as he looked up into the face of his own Mini-con. Leader-1 didn't have the typical face of a normal Transformer, lacking lips or anything that could tell the tyrant what he was thinking. This was the original reason Megatron had liked the Mini-con so much, but now he wished to Primus that the grey mech had features on his faceplate. Maybe then the tank could tell if Leader-1 was giving a devious smile down at him and he could decide whether to run or not.

"L-Leader-1?" He stuttered pathetically, losing his usual bravado as his Mini-con bent down and lifted him up much like a human parent would its offspring.

"_I see the vile I left out was too tempting for you to leave alone. Swindle and I were aiming to try it on Slipstream and Blackarachnia, but you've just made my millennium with your curiosity. Yay for me."_

Though the grey mech's voice remained stoic, on the inside he was laughing harder than he ever had in his life, his frame actually shaking in the effort to stave off the urge to just let it all out. But, no, even if his "master" was now three and a half feet tall at best, Leader-1 would not do anything that could cause him to seek out revenge later on. He was the mature 'Con here, and he would act like one.

Indignant about being picked up like a mere sparkling, Megatron struggled to get out of Leader-1's grasp as he snarled, "YOU did this to me?"

"_Uh-huh. And Swindle will be doing it to Starscream or one of the other Seekers right about—"_

"BROTHER!"

Both of the mech's turned (Megatron because Leader-1 was still holding to him quite firmly) around to find Sunstorm, now the size of an adult human male, flying through the hall that led into the rec. room.

The yellow Seeker with the reputation of being a suck-up that topped all suck-ups paused before the sight of his leader being held up in the arms of Leader-1, his optics widening and his jaw dropping at the sight. Then he screamed like a little girl and pointed rather rudely at the display.

"M-m-m-majesty! How are you—How am I—We—What happened?"

Leader-1 couldn't help it. Thousands of years of being stoic because his boss was a complete jerk was one thing, but when confronted with the situation of karma coming to bite said mech in the aft and seeing someone who looked a lot like Starscream brought down to the Mini-cons' size, the time came when he had to laugh.

And he did laugh. He laughed hard enough to actually drop onto his back with Megatron still in hand and roll on the floor with merry sounds emitting from his vocalizer.

Megatron just sat on his Min-con's (odd that he was still calling the mech his when he was currently shorter than said mech) chassis with his arms crossed. He was, to say the least, a little freaked out at Leader-1's behavior, but maintained some dignity.

"Why am I bigger than you?" Sunstorm asked, finally landing beside the still flailing Mini-con and pointing nervously at his miniscule leader. The shock of being a giant one moment and a pipsqueak the next had left him devoid of his usual compliments and landed him in a state of mild uncertainty and morbid curiosity. Megatron wasn't entirely sure he liked that.

"_Because, I saved a small dose for someone else."_

Both Sunstorm and Megatron turned without Leader-1 back the way Sunstorm had flown, to see Swindle waltzing in with a spring in his step. The red Mini-con did not bother to hide his amusement at the previously larger 'Cons' misfortune and gave a loud bark of laughter when Megatron bared his dental plates at Swindle. Sunstorm flinched a little at the laugh, though.

A very screechy voice from back down the hall caused the red racer to immediately stop laughing, though.

"SWINDLE! Where are you, you little slagger? I'm gonna slash you to ribbons when I catch you!"

Leader-1 stopped laughing as well, grasping onto Megatron's shoulders to sit up and get a look as Swindle moved to stand behind the grey mech. Soon, little stomps could be heard slamming onto the dirt floor and everyone in the rec. room's optics widened when they saw Starscream rush in, wing sword pulled out and only one foot taller than his younger brother.

The red racer looked highly, highly amused, but would not devolve to rolling on the floor like an idiot at the sight of his partner. Even being this small, the Seeker could knock him on his aft in seconds if he chose to do so. And Swindle did not want to ruin his fresh coat of paint.

**Not At All Friendly:**

Sharp teeth that looked like they should belong to a Ganglier Fish, mottled green hair and flaming red eyes were the first things Sari noticed when she glanced up from the flowers she was trying to pull up. The second things were that the features belonged to a Paiyuk.

Paiyuk, as the girl had heard in old stories her father had told her, were carnivorous water elk that were unintelligent but highly aggressive when confronted by anything at all. They mostly roamed the swamps and marshes on the edges of forests about the world, and Sari had been too occupied to remember about them. And now she was gonna die.

She didn't register that she'd made a panicked cry, but she did at least have enough sense to bound from the spot she'd occupied and start running. Her tiny little feet clawed at the muddy ground as she took off back onto the path that led to Bumblebee, Prowl and Maggie's little house. She didn't want to know what it would be like to be eviscerated and eaten alive by something that looked like a warped, twisted version of Rad's second form.

The Paiyuk released a horrible scream that was like what a woman might sound like before being spirited away, and its massive figure went after the feline. Its sturdy legs allowed it to cover far more ground than Sari and in less time than she would have liked, it was less than five feet away from her, rancid breath ghosting over her tail and sending a frightful chill up her spine.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" She repeated, speeding up but still too small to gain much ground.

"Bumblebee! Prowl! Please—Help!"

The carnivore growled and Sari wasn't quite sure how, but it managed to bend its neck at just the right angle and graze her side with its antlers. The force knocked Sari off course rather painfully, a gash forming along her ribs as she tripped, gave out a pained squeal and tumbled into a heap. She had never felt so much pain as she lay on the ground, legs splayed out and bleeding profusely.

Her red eyes stared up in abject terror as the monster moved in to rip into her with its teeth, its lips pulled back to show off the gleaming ivory that it ate with. Sari could see some remnants of its last meal clinging to its gums and she shut her eyes as it made to lunge.

…Nothing happened.

"Hello there darlin'," A voice that she knew vaguely spoke from directly above her head, the Paiyuk's growls and snarls accompanying it like it was in its own sudden pain.

Opening one eye, Sari nearly screamed when she found the bounty hunter Lockdown towering before her with a gentle (she found herself inwardly flinching at the idea) smile. Behind him stood Barricade with the nasty deer, servos clenching it like a ragdoll and giving it a little shake each time its hooves scraped angrily at his black armor. Frenzy stood beside the black Cruiser while cackling wickedly at the organic's plight.

**Drink Up Me Hardies, Yo-Ho:**

"Well, if it isn't Billy Bones."

Spinning on his heal in a bristled fury, Billy turned to find Rad standing in the hallway before Fanzone's office.

And Billy's day had been going so well. He'd been in the zone to finally win at 'Pounce' with Sam! He'd reserved the training room for the event and everything, but no, now he had to catch up with his childhood friend.

"Well," Billy sneered, "At least you're not Carlos. That said—Don't ever call me that again!"

Rad grinned half-heartedly at the Guardsman and held out both arms. Billy gave a sigh, but completed the transaction of a hug. Each gave the other a strong but quick squeeze and disengaged, arms retracting to their sides. Manly men.

"I could call you worse, Mr. Guardsman. How's all the City's action, what with the Transformers causing Prometheus Black and Masterson to suffer a complete mental lapse?"

"Fine. Masterson we caught last week, but Black has too many sneaky, bastard lawyers tying us all up. We'll be lucky to see him behind bars next year," The Pre-cog said with exasperation. It was the truth, too. None of the lower Guards had even seen Prometheus when he was called upon for court. He simply sent his fleet of attorneys to cover in for the face time he generally appreciated, but these days declined adamantly.

Billy gave the taller blond a devious grin, "Though I bet you're worse off. Playing chaperone to the talking tin cans, babysitting Carlos and keeping the wolves out of Red Plain sounds much more interesting."

"It has its moments," Rad laughed, "I should introduce you to Blurr, I think you'd like each other. Oh, and you'll probably be seeing Carlos tomorrow. He's currently walking that gorgeous Husky to her apartment."

"Mikaela? He hit on her yet?"

"First thing he did when he met her earlier was give her one of those flowers I'll bet he has growing in his robes."

Billy resisted the urge to bark out a sharp laugh. Classic Carlos, "Pity. Sam's going to be whining about this when he finds out."

"He shouldn't. Carlos has a boyfriend now. He actually left with them to drop off the chick."

…Whoa, back up. Billy didn't know that Carlos played for the other team. He'd always thought the guy could score with any girl he wanted and had no reason to go after someone who couldn't reproduce with him. This was interesting though, it meant a lot more women for the freckle faced teen.

Billy scratched the back of his head absently and started leading Rad down the halls to the lunch room. He had a feeling the older male hadn't eaten today since he was sort of yawning every few seconds. Guy needed coffee, Billy was certain of that much at least.

"So, Carlos has a sugar daddy or an actual normal being?" Billy asked curiously, door to the access to food opening with a light wave of his hand without him even touching it.

"Neither," Rad said, sitting on one of the chairs around the three large tables that rarely, if ever, held more than five people at the same time, "He's dating one of the Transformers. A Mini-con by the name of Grindor. It's been going on five months now and Carlos seems to be actually happy. If you can believe that."

The Guardsman's eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates at the information Rad was giving. The thoughts that sprang from the thought of Carlos screwing a mech caused him to spill some of the coffee from the billions in the room on his hand and he didn't even notice. In spite of it being fresh and burning hot.

When Rad pointed it out for Billy, the teen flinched, grabbed a napkin and gave Rad the cup. The blond delicately sipped at the drink and almost spat it up. That was the worst coffee he had ever tasted. He could feel some of the grounds that were supposed to remain in the filter settle on his teeth and nestle into his gums.

Billy noticed this when he threw away the napkin and gave Rad a sly grin, "Taste good?"

"….Fine."

"Liar. It's horrible, but that's the way we Guardsmen like it. Strong, hot and with a horrid flavor is just what we need to keep us awake for long periods of time. Get a pot of this with a surveillance crew and we can stay awake for days on end."

"Wonderful credentials for a Guardsman for sure, but certainly not coffee," Rad scoffed, draining it all in a few gulps anyway, "You just described an old friend of ours to a 'T'."

The other teen paused as he sat in his chair at the description. When he actually sat, he gave Rad a look that begged him to stay off that topic.

It was not to be, though.

"Alexis says 'Hi', by the way," The red elk said peacefully enough, looking Billy directly in his eyes to gage his reaction. No doubt the Guardsman had heard from Carlos and Fred about what had happened to the only girl who was stronger than any of them and already viewed her in a sort of false light. But, Rad was always the ever optimistic one and had to hope Billy wasn't that stupid.

"…Alexis is still alive?"

Okay, that was not the reaction he had guessed would happen, but it was something. Billy appeared both disturbed and interested. Such was his nature, Rad just hoped he wouldn't take the route most travelled by their friends on this subject.

"What, you expected a kick to the head and a trampling by the entire male populace of our tribe to put her down? You know better than to assume that." Rad chastised seriously.

"…Shit." Was all that Billy could say, holding his own cup to his lips and taking a long slurp, "And you're still talking to her?"

"Yes, despite what Carlos seems to think, she is still capable of being a good person and not eating me on sight. She's just a lot angrier than the last time you saw her and a lot bigger, stronger and bitter. And if you see her anytime soon, please don't say anything about her appearance. The scars and burns couldn't be avoided."

Billy looked just this side of having a stroke, "She's in town? Here? Now?"

Rad managed a smile at the other teen, "Why do you think I was talking to your captain? I don't want everyone trying to blow her up when she's just here to show a few Mini-cons around this place and buy that stupid mushroom she always spoke about when we were young. Oh, that reminds me," Here he pulled from his robe a small photo, "This is what she looks like now. Please don't let any of your men do anything stupid. She's dangerous, but not homicidal. If she were, Carlos would be very dead right about now."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers…. Dang it.

**Much thanks for the story alerts I keep getting. Though, admittedly some suggestions would make my day for eternity. My head is starting to hurt from pulling stuff out of the air. I wrote this set after watching **_**Shutter Island**_** for the first time at two in the morning and **_**Clerks**_** just afterwards, so don't be surprised if this chapter is like something out of Alice in Wonderland while getting stoned.**

Also, this chapter will involve simple sentence collection, because I feel like it gets more across in one go at times. Enjoy.

* * *

_Going down the rabbit hole gives a new spin on things. –Alice, Syfy Channel._

* * *

**The Heart of Mystery:**

Above Starscream's head a pulsing beat echoed through the whole of blackness that was a stark contrast to the white he and the Mini-cons had been in only moments before. There was light, but it was like the flickering of a candle, barely laminating the corridor that he had been dropped into. Swindle and Sureshock were gone, leaving him to try and find his way out of this strange mirror world of Earth.

Taking tentative steps forth, servos tracing the walls that he idly registered were fashioned to his own height. The stones, at least he thought they were stones, that made up the wall were covered in grey and green moss that fell to the ground like down feathers under his fingers. His stabilizing servos stepped atop them, but when they lifted, wherever they had been under his weight, they disappeared.

"Wait for us."

Pausing from taking another step, Starscream turned swiftly to the voice that sounded half-familiar to his audio receivers.

Steps that were similar to his echoed from the place he'd come until they were upon him. Out of the dark, into the orange light, came two mechs that the Seeker felt he may have met before, but didn't register in his processor. They both were as tall, if not maybe a little taller, than him.

The one that spoke wore a deep red that rivaled Starscream's own along with black here and there along the seams and his helmet, which reminded the Seeker a little of Cyclonus, was white. He was a racer, made all the more obvious by the tires attached to his shoulder struts and the joints of his knees. He was smiling at Starscream mischievously, made all the more attractive by his light blue optics.

Behind the half-familiar mech was a slightly taller orange and grey mech. He looked upon Starscream rather passively as Starscream watched him. He was a little tougher looking than the red one, with a grey band with what seemed like an upside-down eye in the center upon his forehelm and looked rather like a thousand times more mature Hot Shot. He wasn't smiling like his friend, but he wasn't frowning either. And his circular yellow optics were dimmed in half-moons, to make him look all the more sedate than the other.

Starscream didn't know why, but he knew they weren't his enemies when they got closer to him, "Wait for you? Do I know you?"

The red mech laughed a little at the comment, all in good nature, and the other snorted and pushed his friend closer to the Seeker, seeming to finally show emotion as his own optics lit out the half-moons and into full brightness. Both of them obviously knew something the Seeker didn't and he was unsure if that was a good thing or not. He decided not, when the red mech came close enough to pat Starscream's shoulder in a way a close comrade might for another.

"Sorry boss," The red mech said jovially, moving beyond the spot he'd been, to the other side of the Seeker, where Starscream had been heading for himself, "Didn' mean t' confuse ya'. We probably should have told you we had this in store when Alexis invited you along today."

Tiny synapses that made up the processor functions of a Cybertronian processor snapped through Starscream as he registered the voice and the visage of the mech before him. His optics ran along the whole of the red racer and, in the lowest volume available to his voice box, uttered two names without him fully realizing it, "Swindle? Sureshock?"

"Yes." The orange mech finally spoke up, walking ahead of both the red mechs in what looked like impatience, footsteps of his own making no sound like the other two. Like he weighed so much less than either of the ones behind him.

"Swindle?" Starscream asked again, unknowingly moving towards the way Sureshock had, his Mini- His partner, walking beside him with that smile Starscream never knew he had upon his faceplate.

"Yeah boss?"

"How did you get like this?"

Swindle's smile widened kindly at his partner, a hidden sparkle in his optics, "We'll tell you when we get there."

"Get where?"

"Well, I don' know exactly," Swindle admitted, speeding his stride as Sureshock took a turn neither of the red mechs had seen coming in the dark and dragging Starscream with him so they didn't lose sight of the mech who knew this place much better than them, "But the king of the pumpkin patch up there, he does. So, we best not lose him, yeah?"

**Glass Eggs:**

"Put me down, put me down, PUT ME DOWN!"

Holding the young winged girl away from his face like she was a virus, Tracks looked down at Raoul, as if asking if putting the female down would be the right thing to do. She was still hyperventilating, the white feathers from her wings were falling out as she flapped them in an attempt to get out of the vain mech's grip and her eyes were starting to leak.

Tracks was afraid if he put her down she would attack him and ruin his paintjob.

Raoul was looking like he was thinking the same thing, while at the same time holding his hands in front of himself in a sign of submission most humans presented when faced with uncomfortable situations such as these, "Easy now princess, calm down. Nobody is going to hurt you, Tracks just wanted to make sure you were unharmed."

"I am fine!" Alice screamed, tears falling from her eyes, though now in anger, fists slamming against the mech's digits, "I'm not hurt! See, no blood anywhere! Now put me down you overgrown pile of scrap!"

Tracks' face scrunched in a rather undignified manner at the young woman's language, and despite his better nature, obliged the shrieking harpy in her demand.

"As you wish."

The girl had no time to react as the mech's servo unclenched and she was released, falling in a rather undignified manner into Raoul's arms. The long haired mutt gave a groan of protest when the weight of the girl sent him backwards to land onto his rear, tail bending painfully as he hit the ground. Alice made a similar noise when her right wing's end feathers were crushed beneath the tan male.

"Now that," Tracks grinned, "Is more like it."

Raoul raised his hand to give Tracks a gesture the Corvette had come to find was very rude.

**Bright Spiral Dancer:**

Lori wasn't very good at controlling her talent of shedding light, not at all, and that's why she loved Sunstorm so much. He had patience that she hadn't found in many others so he made a fantastic teacher for her.

"You're getting better at least."

The blue and white half-wolf didn't believe the now merely eight foot yellow Seeker. Partly because he was just being supportive, like he was with everyone, be they friend or foe but also because the armor of his servo was still sizzling dangerously with little bubbles from the melted paint.

"Don't try and make me feel better," Lori mumbled, pressing the sopping wet rag she had into the seams of her fingers.

"But you are," Sunstorm chirped kindly, "That was pulled off much better than Jetfire. He sent his own fireball into Sentinel's chassis. You at least managed to make it stop and die before doing any more harm."

Lori sighed. Her eyes roved over the scorch marks upon the metal that had been so bright earlier and now held a color rather close to Wheeljack's paintjob. She had tried to make it stop before it hit him, but like Coby had said earlier, she lacked the fundamentals to do anything of the sort. She felt like a rank amateur at best, "You still got hurt, though."

Sunstorm's optics dimmed at her tone. He had known the girl for a relatively short time, but in this form, he had a much better grasp of what she felt simply by being able to better read her body language and vocal tones. She was upset and he didn't like it, not at all. Despite being a Decepticon he still felt he should try to do something to make her feel better.

Hesitantly, the optimistic Seeker brought his arm around the girl and gave her a gentle hug. Not tight enough to hurt her, but just close enough to instill a sense of security. He felt her breathing still for a moment during the act and gave an even broader grin when he realized she was blushing and embarrassed in his strong arms.

"What brought this on?" Her voice questioned, face still planted against his chestplate so close he could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was appropriate."

**Border Patrol:**

Jazz sometimes wondered how the humans did it. He had been taking patrols with Epps and today, among many other days, the large stallion had to deal with the Predators that had wandered into their territory hoping to find one of their herds' foals or elderly to eat.

The silver music loving mech couldn't help but notice the similarities between the Herbivores and the Autobots and the Predators and the Decepticons as Epps charged after the two hyenas that were twice his own size and most likely very deadly in large numbers. The things that reminded Jazz of the never-ending robot war were hard to see if one wasn't looking, but he was watching and he saw.

The Predators, like the Decepticons, didn't play fair and went after the weak when they were most vulnerable. When confronted with an enemy that was decidedly much stronger than themselves, they ran like cowards or fought to prove themselves the better being. Sometimes they even won, but not in this clan that Jazz and a few other Autobots had become attached to.

Because these Herbivores, like the Autobots, were some of the strongest of their kind. They fought like warriors, because they were. They fought, because unlike the Predators, they had something to protect. And it showed fully when Jazz watched Epps.

The grand ebony stallion bore some scars from his fights with his enemies, but he wore them with a quiet dignity. And they showed he carried a quiet strength as well when he confronted the hyenas and managed to seriously wound one and at least scare the other into leaving before similar wounds were inflicted on him. Both of them were allowed to leave, but only because Epps had not eaten yet and didn't want to chase after them.

"Man, you're good." Jazz complimented, coming up the hill to stand beside Epps as he reverted to his biped form. The dark man grinned up at the Autobot saboteur as he watched the retreating forms of the hyenas.

"It was nothing. Those two clowns were just young bloods," Epps replied modestly, "Compared to an adult hyena or even a young lion, that was a snap."

"You're too modest. That was awesome, I don' care what ya' say."

**Desert Charm:**

"….That's a woman?" Carlos choked, pointing none too politely at the femme who was glaring down at the boys like the Unmaker himself.

"_A femme."_ Grindor corrected off-handedly, his spindly alt mode legs trembling under Strika's optics. Admittedly, he hadn't ever seen a femme of her build or frame or temperament, but a Transformer, even a Mini-con, can simply tell if they are confronted with a mech or femme just by their energy signature.

"Oye ve…"

"I can hear you, puny organic insect," Strika growled, taking delight in the fear that crossed the human's face as she bent over him threateningly.

**Grave Digger:**

Rad would not admit it to anyone, but he often thought about Alexis, her mother, his mother and his father. Not with sexual overtones, but with avid curiosity.

Both of their mothers had been Pre-cogs of grand ability. His mother was more certain of herself when she knew of what might be, but Alexis' mother was open minded to other possibilities. This may have been why they were the best of friends, even in death. His father was decent at what he could see, but since Rad's mother's passing, he'd gotten only shadows of what he used to be able to comprehend.

The young man secretly also thought about exactly why their mothers died. They were the best, but their wills to live seemed to cease when he was old enough to understand things. Both were always small and beautiful, his father had told him that, but they always carried a sadness that couldn't be explained. Maybe that is why when his mother died just two weeks before his coming of age from her heart giving out, Alexis' mother had gone away a mere day after into the woods and never to return.

He remembered Alexis saying that they hadn't been self-destroyers, they had just been languishing and needed release. It was like that for most female Pre-cogs, because they cared too much. That was why Rad's father was still living and would continue to live for decades. Because, he had no reason to not want to live. Rad often admired her for telling him that. It was somehow comforting.

At times, remembering made him grateful that he was a Push and not like the rest of his family. He had every intention of living and helping people in his own ways.

**Stillness:**

In the only cavern in the Autobot base with a giving hole that allowed sunlight to stream in and warm the many plants in it, Yoketron sat at peace, watching Prowl explain to Sari, Carlos, Bulkhead and a handful of Mini-cons the art of Circuit-Su; ever proud of his best pupil for being so patient.

**Washing Wounds:**

"You know, for something as small as you are," Starscream spoke to lighten the mood if only by a notch, "You certainly secrete a lot of fluid when injured."

Alexis growled up at the red mech as he attempted to pull out the second piece of shrapnel from Ironhide's weapon. Whereas the earlier piece had come out relatively quickly, this one was splintered and had lodged into her ribcage. While she claimed that she didn't really feel pain, she just got used to it, he still wanted to stave it off if he could.

"It's called bleeding," Alexis shot back, teeth digging into her tongue afterwards to keep herself from screaming when the metal tore horribly at the movement from Starscream. If she could have helped it, she would have gotten it out on her own. She wasn't completely lacking in the energy necessary to do it, all she had to do was… oh, who was she kidding. She could barely move her head to growl at the Seeker.

Amazing how that tight-ass Lennox could get that psycho black Autobot to shoot her for trespassing even as his boss and Sureshock had asked him not to. She should be grateful that he hadn't blown her head off outright, but she wasn't going to be. That aggressive son of a glitch had no reason to do what he did and despite herself, her mind wandered to fantasizing his demise.

Starscream noted her discomfort and ceased his pulling for a moment to ask one more time, almost despairingly, "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to Blackarachnia? She'll at least have some notion of what to do with organic wounds."

Alexis shook her head, some small amount of blood travelling up her throat from her stomach and dribbled down her chin along with some vaguely slurred words, "D-don't want to b-bother her. She's t-too low on energy to make the trip from the bottom of the canyon, ch-change her size and b-be bothered to f-fix me up. You're r-right here and doing fine. Just get the s-stupid smoking shrapnel out and I'll leave for the burrows."

He sighed and shook his head, despite her not noticing as she'd suddenly found the blood she'd already spewed on the dry ground rather interesting. He may have been an emotionless Seeker, but he found himself not wanting her to crawl down a shaft of the hot desert ground to be alone and in pain until they left in a day or so. If she was still alive at that point.

"No," His scratchy voice corrected adamantly, "I'll have you stay with us in the canyon tonight and I'll take you back with us in my cockpit."

"But Sureshock-"

"Swindle will inform him of the arrangement. I'd like to be sure you'll be alright."

The large black wolf felt as if she should be screaming and arguing that she didn't need charity from a giant robot, but in the farthest regions of her mind, she was grateful that he was offering such a thing. Sureshock was the kindest person she'd met in five years, but she was getting slowly attached to this particular Decepticon. So, ears folded rather pathetically backwards, Alexis bowed her head gratefully and shut up when he found another metal piece. This one didn't hurt so much when he pulled it out.

**Charity:**

Barricade watched Frenzy like a parent with a child as the little crack-bot ran in that strange little alt mode after Bonecrusher, Crumplezone—and here Barricade allowed his smile to lift sardonically—and the now miniaturized Megatron, leaving the black Cruiser to wonder if he should assist the horned leader of all Decepticons.

**Breakfast:**

"Simmons?"

No answer came as Banacheck leaned over the black haired man whose head was still pressed against the blueberry bagel he had assumingly been eating before passing out. Some of the little berries retained the drool Simmons was expelling along with snoring.

Holding up his own metallic lunch box for a moment before slamming it onto the table with a resounding BANG, Tom waited for his long-time friend to jolt up. He didn't even twitch from the noise, another snore escaping his lips.

"Simmons? Simmons. Simmons! SIMMONS! SIMMONS!" Banacheck practically screeched, hands forming a cone around his lips to amplify the annoyance and volume from himself.

Still nothing.

Unwilling to admit defeat, the calmest agent in The City went into the big metal kitchen all the Guardsmen used for meals when stuck into the housing unit, grabbed the bucket generally used for when it rained to catch the droplets that poured from the ceiling, filled the bucket with freezing water from the sink and went back to Simmons.

Lifting the water carrier just above the brunette's head, Banacheck started to tip it just enough to let it pour into a steady stream-

"Do it and Maggie gets to see that picture of you in her blue kimono."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of the franchise that is Transformers, blah, blah, blah…

**Warnings: This chapter is going to spell out specifically why I rated this fic an 'M', people! If you don't like one-shot/drabble kinda smex, you might want to skip over **_**Bound in Passion**_** and **_**Lick**_**.**

* * *

_If you want to look to the future for direction, You must look to the past, Because the future's a reflection of it. –Will Smith._

* * *

-  
**History Doesn't Always Repeat:  
**  
The first year after Rad's coming of age, his twelfth year of life, he spent most of the time researching everything he could in the underground library and spending as much time as possible with his father, because he couldn't stand to be near Keller if he could possibly help it. He could barely even _look_ at Carlos.

The first year after Carlos reaching his maturity, he spent his days working under his father and brothers. He learned all there was about trapping an enemy, fighting and mind games. He got so good near the end of the year that he'd managed to bag a rogue lion that had gotten past their borders. He and Rad barely spoke at all.

The first year after Alexis' revealing, she spent it roaming the kingdoms looking for someone to take her in, hoping when she woke up from her few hours of sleep that she'd stop feeling such pain from the break on the left side of her skull and her shattered heart.

When Rad turned thirteen, he started trying to work things out with Carlos, even going so far as to go with the Spaniard on month long trips around the world. He collected small bits of the magic each culture was known for and was a little happier and getting much smarter. He even got a tattoo in the City that looked like the ancient symbol for protection in the language of the ruins. It was on his right shoulder in faded green ink.

When Carlos turned thirteen, he became the second in command of his tribe's hunting party to replace his injured father. Keller still reigned supreme as the leader, but the gazelle found that with his new title came a lot of travel and a lot more killing of creatures twice his size and twice as lethal. He still wasn't sure if it was good that he felt proud whenever he brought a Predator's pelt back.

When Alexis turned thirteen, she discovered the hard way that not only did Herbivores despise and fear Flukes, but so did the Predators. They saw her kind as easy sex or easy prey and when she made the mistake of wondering into Galloway's territory, she got the full brunt of this base of thought when he tried to rape her, burned the left side of her body and she had to break his jaw to get out alive.

In Rad's fourteenth year, he had almost mastered his Push. There were still flaws that he couldn't beat out of himself, but his father said that he shouldn't try and beat them out. Flaws often gave people strengths that they didn't realize they needed until the time came. Rad didn't believe Mr. White, but did as he was told. He also gathered some minor information about Billy and Fred, but kept it to himself. He'd use the information when the time came, as it always would.

In the fourteenth year of Carlos, he gained height like a beanstalk. He was the tallest member of the entire hunting party and taller than even his father in his prime. He dedicated the year to bulking up in muscle by eating green plants that were supposed to help his internal systems, but only made him vomit and got about seven tattoos. He found himself missing the connection he and Rad had when they were younger, and as such got his tattoos in a faded green as well. All were the symbols of inspiration and ran along his shoulders like half-completed crow tracks.

Fourteen was the age that Alexis was forever grateful she survived. In that year she made the mistake of accepting the so-called kindness of Prometheus Black. She received companionship and a place to stay, but was unfortunate to find that it came for a price when he tried to experiment on her with his little flea-bitten lapdog Masterson. She was lucky not to have been killed.

At fifteen, Rad received his own growth spurt, but didn't get nearly as tall as Carlos. Still, that was, oddly, the one thing that got them back together as best friends. They were the tallest in the whole village after-all, and it was something to connect to. Such was the way of the male mind. He learned little things from the Spaniard and in turn taught Carlos things that he thought could be useful out in the wilds of the world. They never spoke of before their coming of age and Rad really didn't want to, for fear of breaking their friendship once more.

For Carlos, fifteen was the year he rekindled his relationship with Rad and also the year he found how attractive he was to women. When he visited The City and a few other kingdoms, the fairer sex swarmed him like bees to a field of fresh flowers. He confessed to Rad that he was unsure as to why the ladies found him attractive, and Rad had laughed harder than the Spaniard had ever thought was possible. Afterwards, the blond explained that he was perfect for the female populace, because he presented all the aspects they wanted, despite lacking any real charisma. Maybe that was why Carlos spent small minutes of the day practicing come-ons.

When fifteen came around for Alexis, she came to the decision to go to Cold Mountain. She stayed just on the edge of Red Plain and waited during the night to cross into the one kingdom that didn't have a monarch. It was probably the only place in the world where nobody would cross her except non-sentient beasts and strange plants. She found an abandoned rabbit warren and managed to dig miles into it, expand it and connect it to an even older cave system. By pure accident, she came upon a way to go into what she called her Wonderland.

When sixteen came, Rad started hearing his father's sleep talks. It was often about what he called robots from a different planet named Transformers. At first the teen hadn't believed him on the account of that the only other alien people the creatures of Earth were in contact with had never mentioned such beings. But then, one night, his father had woken up and told Rad to go into the old mining caves and look for the three green panels the blond had been meant to find. When Rad did as instructed, and with the aid of Carlos, he found that his father spoke the truth and they had to prepare.

At sixteen, Carlos believed that perhaps Mr. White had finally suffered the mental break-down Keller had thought he would for years. But, when Rad found that his Pre-cog father was right, the Spaniard felt a sudden duty to help Rad get ready for whatever was to come and, as a result, lost his own rank in the hunting party. He didn't care, though. He was still a part of the troop, but now he had made himself up to be Rad's guard and helped the blond clear out the old caves, make them much bigger and made sure nobody snuck into the caves to steal the green panels Rad had found. He sometimes even spent the night watching them. However, this caused him to slough off some of his other duties and missed something rather vital coming to deliver him karma.

Sixteen, Alexis found, was the year she would do another little revealing. She had established herself as probably the best hunter in Cold Mountain and had drawn interest from her old tribe, because they didn't know she was still living, they just thought a lion had snuck through the border. So, during the beginning of autumn, with the hunting party, Rad and Carlos nearby, she leapt from the woods of Cold Mountain into Red Plain and took down a weak and dying (non-sentient) deer in three seconds. The look on Carlos and Rad's faces would remain burned in her memory. She was alive, despite their attempt on her life and there to stay. And she wasn't _ever_ going to let them forget that.

**Autumn Leaves:**

The metal that hadn't seen combat or sliced through flesh and bone in at least a thousand years shined brilliantly as Rad tilted it to catch the sun's rays. The engravings on it read of ancient language that Rad couldn't read, but he enjoyed the sight of the tiny Ivy leaves imprinted into it. He couldn't even begin to imagine using it for what his father said he was to use it for.

Sideswipe seemed to be in just as much awe of the sword Rad held. Not because it was so different from what Cybertronians used, but because it had energy readings off the charts and he'd been informed by High Wire that people had died in the protection of this weapon. Also, Sideswipe found it hard to believe that the thing has been around longer than _Optimus_ has been alive.

"What's it for?" The rookie Autobot hacker asked.

Rad shook his head, as though he'd been brought out of a trance thanks to Sideswipe's voice and put the Gire Sword back into its sheath before trying to answer, "Well, I'm not really sure. Dad says it's to be used for protection, Maggie says it'll end the war between Autobots and Decepticons, High Wire says it's a weapon meant for only one enemy. I feel like it's meant for something like that, but I… I don't really know."

Sideswipe tilted his head cutely at the words. If the sword was created for the human standing before him before he was even born, than shouldn't he know how to use it? For that matter, shouldn't he know everything there was to know about the blade since birth, like when a Cybertronian is sparked for a purpose and downloaded and pre-programmed with the information needed to obtain their goal?

It was perhaps the first ever moment that Sideswipe actually thought humans were really strange and a little smile shirked across the young mech's faceplate.

"Well," Sideswipe chirped, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Rad gave his own little smile at the youngest Autobot he'd met to date, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

**Bound in Passion:**

Grindor wasn't exactly sure how Carlos had stopped being submissive in a blink and managed to flip the grey Mini-con onto his back, but quite frankly, he didn't give a frag. The sensations were the best he'd ever felt and he had to be careful not to clutch at Carlos' head too hard as the Spaniard did the most deviant things with that light strawberry tongue.

The Mini-con gave a keen as the human finally found the latch to his codpiece and flipped it quickly open, revealing his already warmed and damp port and half-hardened plug.

Carlos let his eyes light up as he looked over his partner, fingers deftly touching the port just to see what it felt like and hand squeezing the plug delicately to see if he could get a more definite rise from Grindor. Both actions received an equal but opposite reaction and Grindor's back arched off the little fur covered bed, a loud beep to follow.

"You look so gorgeous like that," Carlos said, easing one finger gently into Grindor and pulling in and out. Grindor happily accepted the intruder, even more so when a second and third joined in, along with Carlos taking the Mini-con into his mouth. Grindor hardened completely at the feel of the tight, watery heat enveloped him.

Grindor couldn't stop the buck of his hips and squealed deliciously as Carlos quickened his pace, head bobbing up and down and fingers stretching him at the same time. He knew the teen had history in this area, but hadn't imagined that he'd be so good at it when in no time at all and with no warning, he overloaded. He static that had formed along his transformation seems flowed through him from top to bottom and lightly tickled Carlos when water-based lubricant filled the young man's mouth.

The tan male gave a warm chuckle when he released the Mini-con's piece from his mouth and wiped some excess fluid from his lips, "Was that good?"

Grindor nodded. How could Carlos not tell that it was probably the best ever? He could barely move!

Carlos leaned over his satisfied lover and gave him a kiss on the faceplate. He'd been hoping to give Grindor a good time and had succeeded, but he was still ready for his turn. He was the one that was in heat, after all.

"Good. Because I'm not quite done yet."

The grey mech gave a little start as one of his legs was draped over the much taller male's shoulder and he felt something press up and against his port. Instantly he heated back up again, servos trailing over the broad chest that leaned over and then onto him as Carlos pushed all the way into him, leaving Grindor shaking in bliss.

"_Oh, that feels…so…so good…Don't stop…"_ Grindor whispered pleadingly.

Carlos complied readily. He slowly began rocking his hips, dragging the feeling out as long as possible and then thrusting in hard. The feeling was tremendously better than anything he'd previously experienced. Some more static that came off Grindor in little waves causing the nerves atop his skin to twitch wonderfully as he upped the pace until both of them were making very loud groans and keens.

Needless to say neither lasted very long until climax. Grindor coming first and followed a half-second later by Carlos, both crying out the others name and riding the euphoric waves in ecstasy.

**Earmuffs:**

Red Alert tightened the red scarf ever so slightly, but he was sure that it wouldn't fall off on its own. Out of all the dozens he'd seen Sari leave her home with to return without, he was taking no chances as this was the last one and he didn't want to hear anything from the Professor again. Or from Sureshock and Longarm for that matter…Or Bumblebee and Prowl in perpetuity…

"Are we done yet, Red Alert?" The little kitty eared girl asked impatiently, voice slightly muffled from the scarf. She could see Bulkhead and the Mini-cons already starting the snow fort and was itching to go out and launch the first snow ball. Red Alert was taking entirely too long with this!

The Autobot medic smiled kindly down at the youngling. Her ears could just be seen peeking out from under her hat, her upper and lower body was covered in the best waterproof clothes her father had supplied, tail also wrapped in an extra scarf with a little bow at the end and her feet were wearing his own home-made snow boots. He didn't think he was forgetting anything…

Just as his lips opened to give the okay, Longarm gave a rumbled beep backwards from the desk he was working at, optics looking over the schematics for their new med-bay.

"What?" Red Alert asked, curious.

Longarm didn't bother to turn, but his servo made its way into one of the human drawers from the table he was using and pulled out some waterproof gloves and earmuffs. They were in the same colors and shades as Bumblebee, so Red Alert knew they were Sari's.

"Oh," Red Alert brightened, leaning down and plucking the objects away, "Right. Thanks Longarm."

_"Yeah, have a nice day,"_ The medical Mini-con replied nonchalantly. Red Alert wasn't even sure he really cared if Sari had the things, but was grateful none the less.

**A Brief Hug:**

"Perceptor?"

Removing his optic from the microscope, the head scientist of Cybertron looked to the door of his less than desirable workroom. Standing with the noticeable fidget of his fingers that he only seemed to have when confronted with the stoic mech, was Bud. For once he was lacking his ever-present brother and the little female Perceptor often noted getting harassed by the Mini-cons Perceptor had made a personal mission to avoid.

"Yes, Master Bud?"

"I'm not a master!" Bud corrected with a huff, walking into the room with his usual nonchalance, "I keep telling you guys that. Anyway, what were you thinking about earlier?"

"…How much earlier and why?"

Bud quickly scuttled up the ladder the Autobots had installed in every room with a table high than two stories in height for the humans. Once he was face to face with the science officer, Perceptor noted he looked much more uncomfortable than he normally did around… anyone and his gigantic fox ears were tilted back in a clear sign of submission. Very odd, indeed.

"Well," Bud started, "About fifteen minutes ago… Because your energy turned really sad. I wanted to know why."

Ignoring that little part of his processor that wanted to know exactly how the little human had known he was sad when he'd been on the other side of the base, Perceptor allowed himself to shut off his microscope and put all his attention into this conversation. He liked the human, and since Bud had been kind enough to check up on him Perceptor wasn't going to deny him the truth.

"I was, well, thinking about Wheeljack."

Bud nodded, as though he'd known that much at least, and waited for the rest of the explanation patiently. Like a little brother with his big brother.

"I was… surprised to see him with the Decepticons when Hot Shot gave me the news that he'd been lost in a bad fire because of Hot Shot's own negligence. It was disturbing."

A look of understanding crossed over Bud's face, "You were friend's with him?"

"In the Academy, we were both made to be in the science division, but he'd chosen to go into combat to try and make a bigger difference. I was just thinking…. I should have gone looking for him myself."

Bud gave a sort of sympathetic sigh. Perceptor had no time to react afterwards when the small human walked on the mech's servos, across one arm, up to his shoulder and then gently latched himself to the side of red and blue-ish green mech's head. Anyone who might have walked in most likely would have thought Bud was trying to pull something out of Perceptor's audio processor, but the science mech knew better.

Instinctively, Perceptor brought a servo up and lightly rubbed Bud's back with a delicate finger. He was grateful for the compassion that he hadn't expected from anyone. It was nice.

**Lick:**

Blackarachnia's spinnerets clicked rather pleasantly over Blitzwing's chassis as she settled herself atop him, her stronger than most web keeping them suspended in the air. She had been waiting for the others to depart for Gale Fort since that morning and she was not going to lose this opportunity to frag Blitzy until he was either very worn out or she was. Or both, but she'd have to wait and see what happened.

"Vhat are you doing? This is highly unusual, even for—gah!"

Blitzwing's Icy face turned a light pink as his energon heated under the femme's ministrations. Her dainty little fingers wedged with determination into the triplechanger's lower plating. She wasn't going to waste time with the formalities of a mutual interface, she had been in heat for a week now, and by Primus, she was going to get hers!

"Where's the latch to open you up?"

The mech didn't bother to waste words and, leaning up to see exactly what he was doing, he undid the plating himself. The cool air did little to dampen the mood as his more than ready plug stood tall for the femme. She had to pause a moment to admire it and gave a wicked grin down at how he looked.

Despite how much he made fun of her and how utterly irritating his personalities were, Blackarachnia had to admit that he was the best candidate for this endeavor. She was now completely ready to receive him and without further ado, she discarded her own lower plating.

She lifted herself up once more to give him a peck on the lips and then slowly, so as to prolong this activity, she fitted herself onto his piece. It felt almost fulfilling, so she motioned for him to thrust his hips.

More than willing to do as commanded, Blitzwing did exactly that, servos gently gripping her hips to steady her. She felt so completely warm and much different from previous femmes he'd 'faced with. It was probably the best feeling he'd ever had in this situation and he wasn't even on top!

She gave a sultry sigh of pleasure and without really thinking too much about it, she bent down to the thickest cable in his neck and bit down. Her dentals made tiny pinpricks and energon came in little drops that she licked up, savoring the flavor.

**Wind:**

The arrows that made their way through the air with such speed it shamed most flyers who'd fought on the planet Cybertron just barely missed the optic of Megatron's top Seeker. If anyone had been watching Starscream instead of the current battle, they would have thought there was something wrong with their optics. The weapons had been right on target and Starscream hadn't moved, so how come he wasn't screaming in pain or plummeting to the ground below?

Both of the parties involved were certainly confused, but Starscream didn't dwell on it as Rodimus made for another two arrows and the Seeker made a mad flip in the air for some cover among the camphor trees.

"Come back here!" Rodimus screamed indignantly, keeping aim even as he made for the trees, "Do over! Do over!"

"Rodimus, get back here!" Hot Shot called, him, Prowl and Blurr fighting Demolisher and Lugnut so the stags could dig the panel out of the badger den, "There are no do overs in battle so get back here and shoot Cyclonus before he takes out one of our teammates!"

Demolisher took the yellow 'Bot's distraction as a blessing and, with a broad grin, sucker punched the young mech, sending him flying. Blurr, who was closest, gave a wince at the sound of Hot Shot's faceplate giving a loud crunch under the force of the punch.

"Listen to the kid, Roddy," The large tank sneered, giving Hot Shot a kick to the stomach before he could get up, "What kind of soldier doesn't know there are no do overs in battle?"

"The new kind," Lugnut quipped as he managed to just graze Prowl's right leg in a move that would have crushed a lesser mech.

Turning to aim at the Decepticons that were wearing on his last nerve, the flame colored mech almost let loose his arrows before something small and hard just barely made a dent in the back of his helm. He would barely have thought it important if the object hadn't made him free the arrows too soon and send them flying into more trees. One hit a tree directly and became imbedded in the bark, while the other flew out of his sight. He hoped it didn't hit anyone he knew.

With a deep snarl, Rodimus turned to look behind him. Only, when he looked, he found Swindle waving antagonistically at him and Starscream running his way with wing sword drawn.

'_Slag…'_

**Add Water:**

A sort of clickety-clack, clickety-clack sounded off repeatedly as Alice's little feet that were sealed painfully inside her shoes that were too expensive for her own taste stepped with careful, paranoid grace through the corridors. Her silky wings were folded back regally, but painfully, as was expected of a princess.

She really hoped this meeting with Matriarch Witwicky would go by quickly. She hated being in this state for long periods of time in an enclosed place like a library when she wanted to be out and about, exploring and finding and seeking out things with Lori. She wanted out of the too expensive shoes. Already her dainty, delicate feet were bleeding inside the leather and clothe.

The door she came to at the end of the forever spanding hall was big, but not so big as to be too heavy for her to open on her own. Knocking something Lori had taught her on a lark, Alice waited a moment for an answer, hoping she hadn't come all the way downstairs to be forgotten by the Matriarch.

No sooner did she raise her hand once more to administer one more knock, there was a loud, ear-shattering boom from within, followed by smoke billowing out from under the door and various expletives that were common-place among the people of The City.

The sound of healed footsteps made their way to the door and when it was flung open, Alice was faced with the sight of a very annoyed, soot-covered Judy Witwicky. The younger royal had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from laughing. One of the redhead's hairs was on fire, smoldered and then shrunk into nothingness.

"Oh, Lady Alice," Judy coughed, giving a little sneeze afterwards, but covering her face at the least, "I thought you were Miles. I apologize, I thought it was much too early for you to be here. Come in and help me open the back windows, won't you?"

Before Alice could say anything, Judy's now dirtied hand grabbed her slim wrist and pulled her in, shutting the door behind her.

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice," The much older woman said casually, moving for one of the slightly rusted windows and attempted to push it outwards, "I don't think I could have gone all the way to white hills with all my, ahem, responsibilities."

"It's alright," Alice spoke delicately, little hands pushing at the window with all her strength, but only managing to get it open a few inches, "But, I am curious as to exactly why I was summoned. Sam wasn't very specific."

"He never is. Grab me that vase next to you, please. My couch seems to have caught flame."

Spinning, Alice saw that the sofa that was nearest a small (at least now that it was blown up) chemistry set, was smoking and little licks of flame were peaking over the edge. She turned to find a vase full of dead roses, grabbed it without hesitation, pulled out the dead flowers and doused the flame with the murky, but sweet smelling water. The flames died instantly.

**Slumber:**

Starscream stared with dimmed optics at the tiny human he'd become quite attached to who was sleeping on his chestplates right above his spark, many of the more feral Mini-cons clustering around her in an effort to make her comfortable and warm, and Starscream felt his lip components twitch upwards unconsciously. His mouth stayed firmly shut, though. He wanted to look at her without the fur and her bitchy attitude for a moment.

Now he knew why Rad defended Alexis so much. She was so _small_. It was like she'd barely grown since she was twelve, body too nervous and torn up to attempt to make her even more noticeable. With her black pelt hanging in Blackarachnia's room to dry, he could clearly see the scars and burns, primarily the ones on her left side. It was as if she'd been cut into two halves, one side only half damaged by her wretched life and the other being subjected to what death must be like.

Without really thinking too hard, the red Seeker tentatively brought one servo up and gently traced a digit over her mottled and scabbed over back. He expected her to feel wet or dry or even rough like certain stones on the edge of the sea, but she actually felt smooth and soft.

When he traced her back again she gave a little shiver and her Mini-con came back online. He looked over at his girl to find the Seeker's servo touching her and turned to give a light rumble at Starscream, big yellow optics glowing suspiciously up at the larger mech. Starscream took his digit away and gave Sureshock a raise of the optic ridge. For some reason he didn't feel the need to rile up the orange Mini-con and ruin the moment.

Sureshock gave Starscream one more rumble before moving a little closer to his girl and wrapping his long, wired up tail around her securely. Like an actual wolf with its cub.

**Glare:**

"_Mirage?"_ High Wire asked cautiously. The little blue aristocrat of a Mini-con had come back from Cold Mountain earlier looking rather… well, for lack of a better term, fragged off. He hadn't spoken to anyone in the last few hours because he wanted to talk to Cliffjumper first, but then Grindor had informed him that the minibot had gone off with Scavenger and Blurr. Now he was just sulking in the entrance to the caves like a puppy in his own alt mode, ear shells tilted back pitifully.

The blue mech turned around to give a smoldering look at the much lighter mech and actually made High Wire take one giant step backwards.

"_What?"_ High Wire said, _"You look really mad. Did something happen out in the woods?"_

"Er, I was wondering what was wrong,"

If possible, Mirage somehow darkened at the questions, "_Technically, no. I got what I wanted, but…"_

Mirage tried to think of something to say that wasn't so rude, but when nothing passed through his processor, he settled for righteous indignation and irritation, "_I'm sorry High Wire, but I can't stand your gestalt mate! Even when he's trying to be helpful, he's the rudest mech I've ever had the misfortune of meeting and he never apologizes for his actions!"_

High Wire sulked a little. Mirage certainly wasn't talking about Grindor, he was at least positive about that.

"_What did Sureshock do now?"_

"…He gave me advice, sort of…"

High Wire looked expectantly for the slightly older mech to continue. Sureshock gave a lot of Mini-cons advice, and he may tick them off in the process, but he (more often than not) had a good reason for it. Today was probably no exception, but Mirage didn't cope well with someone like Sureshock's blunt personality and way of thinking, so High Wire would give him time to think out a way of explaining exactly what had set them off.

"_And…?"_ Mirage sighed, lying down and resting his head upon his metal paws, "_Now I've probably missed my chance. I'll bet you anything Cliffjumper's getting hit on by those ego-maniacs this second!"_

"And like always, he was right. I'm infatuated with my partner of all Transformers and he said to suck it up and just admit it,"

The elk transforming Mini-con bent delicately over and gave Mirage a pat on the shoulder strut, _"Aw, don't be like that. I don't think Blurr is interested in Cliffie and Scavenger is… well, I'm pretty sure he's courting Smokescreen. You'll get your chance."_

"… _Really?"_

"Absitively posolutely."

**Beautiful Mind:**

"I wonder how freaky she looks naked?"

Without any hints as to how Rad really felt about Miles at the moment, the blond elk lifted his hand, Miles being lifted into the air with the motion, and flung the younger boy face first against Wasp's chassis. His face made a surprisingly satisfying clang and the green mech's face made a little cringe as he pried the teen off like the bug that went 'splat' on his windshield earlier.

Sam and Billy each gave a surprised yelp at seeing Miles be manhandled like that and came sprinting into the room to see if the lighter blond was unconscious.

Rad bent over Miles as well, but not to check on his physical state of being. Instead, he snatched the picture of Alexis and Sureshock out of his clenched hand, a smirk on his lips, "I realize that you've probably never been around a woman who could kick your ass other than Mikaela, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't demean Alexis like that. Because, despite what Carlos seems to think, she is an actual human being and has feelings. And if she ever heard you say that anywhere near her, she'd probably beat the shit out of you. So no more debasing comments, we dig?"

"Sure man, whatever you say," Miles groaned. Billy gave Rad a scowl and slung Miles' arm over his shoulder to drag him to Fred and see if he had a concussion. Sam stayed behind, though. He expected an explanation as to why Wasp had to endure Miles' face leaving spit in the wake of experiencing the Push.

"Okay," The son of the Matriarch started, stance trying to give at least a semblance of authority, "I get that Miles is a pig and shouldn't have done that, but what's with tossing him against Wasp. What did he do?"

"Yeah!" Wasp spoke up, arms crossing over his chassis in a motion he had come to realize humans used to show anger or superiority, "What Wasp do?"

Rad gave a smile that to most would have made him look friendly, but to these two simply made him look like he was going to disembowel them in a few seconds like a gladiator in the ring. He raised his hand again and both Sam and Wasp took a small step back, but he didn't lift them, throw them or slam them against the base floor. He just did it to illustrate his point.

"Wasp was making degenerate comments about Sureshock that led Miles into talking so rudely about my dear childhood friend. You're lucky I didn't use you to jackhammer the walls in."

"…Oh. Wasp sorry about that. Little orange wolf is scary and mean. He made Wasp's paintjob go back to that ugly lime green and lemon yellow Wasp used to be without even touching Wasp. Wasp just got mad and said stupid things."

"Yes," Rad agreed, "You did say stupid things. Just don't do it again."

"'Kay."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing… Though it would be tempting to find a way-No! Bad thoughts!

* * *

_Unlike all the others, you were offered the chance to leave. –The 4__th__ Floor._

* * *

**Cuddle:**

The sub-zero cold blew over the landscape of White Hills and had it not been for Sparkplug's brilliant idea, most of the Autobots would have been frozen before the morning. Lucky for them, they actually listened to the little yellow mech and were presently hidden within their own little snow pockets. The hot air that cycled through their systems stayed within the thick snow, keeping them warm and content in the pairs they'd split into for the night.

Tracks had to admit that the small space was horrible for his paintjob and was causing the joints in his knees and elbows to creek almost painfully, but it wasn't all bad.

Rosanna shifted her head under the mech's chin and gently shifted Raoul into her other servo as he started snoring and wiggling in his sleep. His shirt was starting to come off of him with the motions and she didn't want him to get cold, despite how warm it was at the moment. Primus only knew how Tracks would react if he got sick from the chilled water dripping from the iced ceiling.

"Sparkplug's a real clever mech, isn't he?" The femme asked out of nowhere, breaking the silence that had reigned since Optimus had assigned them as partners for sleeping tonight.

"Uh, I suppose," The Tracks answered, "For a Mini-con."

"Oh, come on! Not just for a Mini-con!" Rosanna replied pointedly, turning to face Tracks with her visor glowing almost like Red Alert's when he was dealing with the twins for a check-up.

"Right, pardon me," Tracks corrected himself, suddenly remembering just how sensitive the smaller Transformer was to teasing and the likes, "Clever for a _youngling_ Mini-con."

Rosanna gave a little huff, crossing her arms, but ever mindful of the human, now snoring and whispering little nothings for the Autobots to hear, "He's not _that_ young."

"Younger than us. Younger than the other Mini-cons we've gathered so far. Almost as young as, say, both the Jet and Lambo twins, though he's mentally much younger since he's been in hibernation for, what? A million or so years? Shall I go on?"

"No. But, he is getting better. There's a reason why Optimus chose him as his partner, after all."

Tracks seriously doubted those words. Though it was true that the little yellow mech was indeed getting much more clever when on missions, he was still terribly shy and self-conscious, especially around the base with the older Mini-cons during training. It was only around Sureshock and those Decepticon Mini-cons, in the woods, alone, that he showed even a modicum of strength and confidence. Tracks seriously doubted he'd ever make much of a leader for the small Cybertronians.

**Night Time:**

Rad's throat tightened in the effort not to scream as the knife made of bone rammed into the lion's throat again. And again. And again, each time making a horrible gurgle until the Predator was finally unable to stay in the position it had been in, trying bite into Rad's jugular. The huge bulk of the cat crashed onto Rad, blood gushing against his face and clothes and soaking in.

He'd hoped he'd never have to do what Carlos did. Not since his coming of age, and here he was with a Predator dead on his chest.

"Could…Could I get some help over here?" He asked, throat still tight and soar from his earlier screams, and hoarse. But, at least someone heard him.

High Wire pushed his way through the debris of the ramshackle house and leapt over the busted door to his partner. Despite his face mask, it was more than obvious that he was worried when he pulled the dead carcass of the Predator from Rad and hugged the blond.

"_Rad! You're okay, you're okay, right? I'm sorry I was in the other room—"_

"It's okay," Rad sighed, clutching at the Mini-con like he was a lifeline, "We thought the house was clear. It's okay."

They stayed like that for a moment, but Rad was the first to let go. He wiped the blood off his face, but didn't notice really that his hands were shaking until High Wire took them and hoisted him up.

Rad clutched High Wire's shoulder, giving not one look over at the Predator. If he did, if he gave it even a subtle look and saw what he'd done again, High Wire would be lucky if Rad didn't vomit all over him. This was one of those days that he'd most likely remember for a very long time. He never, ever wanted to do what Carlos and the other hunters and Guards seemed to take such pride in and this was the reason why.

Carlos was waiting out in the hall with Grindor, a look of pity etched on his face. Despite how far they'd grown apart over the years, the gazelle still knew the elk. He knew he'd never wanted any part of what Keller had wanted him to be and knew that the dead Predator's killing couldn't be avoided. But, Rad would still blame himself.

The Spaniard laid a hand on Rad's shoulder and steered him in the direction of Prometheus' lab. Maybe the sight of the other Guards and Mini-cons would make him think about something other than the blood staining his clothes and the lion with one of Fanzone's old knives stuck in its throat.

**Caged:**

Coby's only semi-sharp teeth chewed on the static running bars of his cell, the little shocks he got from the electricity doing nothing to deter him as he tried and tried to get out. Lockdown was still watching from the camera room on deck, he was sure of that at least, and Bud was with him. He was probably so scared being alone with that horrible mech…

'_No, no, no! Think positive!_' The Halfling thought frantically, letting go of the bars and started to pace his small cell. He had to think. Remain calm and collected and just think. What would Jolt or one of the Autobots do in this situation? Well….

They'd find the fastest possible way to leave, without hurting themselves so they could fight the black striped mech if the need arose. He could do that.

Eyes roving over the cell, he made little notes about the hinges and wires sticking out here and there. The ceiling was most likely the weakest point in the room and if he stood on his back paws he might be able to scratch and dig into the air vent that was filtering oxygen for the shapeshifters the bounty hunter had captured. Supposing the vent wasn't too brittle or too much of a wreck, he might be able to crawl through and find a way to get the others out, then go find Bud.

Plan running through his head a few times, Coby carefully stood on his back legs, tail brushing against the cold stone floor and reached for the rotting ceiling. His claws were dull. Clean and dull like a proper teenager in Jade Country, but they weren't entirely worthless as he started scraping away the plaster and wood that Lockdown obviously hadn't thought to put better care into. The chunks that were ripped free fell into his eyes and fur, but he paid no real mind.

After a few minutes he managed to indeed find the vent and he could just barely grip the joke of protective metal that made up the vent. He pulled himself inside and waited for it to stop swaying back and forth before beginning to move forward, but tentatively. The inside of it was dusty and crawling with what he could only assume were some kind of cybermice, but he ignored them and just nudged them out of the way when he tried to choose between two vents that could either lead to mortal peril or one of the others he'd been captured with.

**Cling-On:**

Carlos was beyond happy when he found that in the dusty, cobweb covered travel trunk were at least a dozen or so battle weapons from the old wars. Despite not being used in a long, long time, they were in pristine condition, all shiny and sharp in case someone should need them. The words in a language Carlos couldn't read skimmed beneath his fingers as he swiftly pulled out one of the thicker, longer swords that were about his height.

The mutated lion that Prometheus had sent after him had found the room and charged in. It leapt into the air, over the table Carlos had knocked down to slow its pace; horrible yellow teeth bared and made to leap once more at Carlos.

…It was unfortunate to find that it was not its day to win as the sword Carlos was holding sliced through its neck, effectively cutting its head off. Its body fell to the floor and the head bounced twice because it hit an angle on the rickety old floor boards, some blood splatter left in its wake when it finally settled to a stop just behind the young man. Teeth clenched twice before all the life left it and its black eyes rolled back into its skull.

The tanned male turned to look at the head with a proud grin. He twirled the sword in his hand a little, the little drops of blood on the end splattering off and made him feel all the more glad that he had noticed the trunk earlier and actually remembered. If he didn't have this little beauty, he probably would have had much more trouble killing the thing. His hand to hand was excellent, but the mutant was twice his weight and size. He didn't like uneven odds.

Twirling the sword once more in his grip, he put it into the empty scabbard at his hip and spun to gather up the rest of the weapons for Billy and the others. If most of them were even alive, he was pretty sure that they'd need all the help they could get trying to corner and/or take down Rhodes and Black at the same time. These would be rather useful in that venture.

"_Carlos! Carlos, are you down there? Answer me if you're down there, please!"_

Lifting the swords up and taking his red cloak off to wrap around them in an effort not to accidentally cut himself, Carlos called out the door to his Mini-con lover, "I'm here Grindor! Down the hall and turn right!"

Metallic hoof beats could be heard clomping through the debris filled hall and the grey gazelle Mini-con jumped into the room. He stilled though, at the sight of the dead lion on the floor, blood already surrounding its chest and front paws from its gushing, headless neck wound. Grindor canted his head a little in fear, but carefully transformed and stepped over the body to assist his human.

**Dream:**

"_**What do you suppose we'll have? Boys, girls, maybe both?"**_

_Bottle green eyes glanced at lavender as Mrs. White's question floated through the air and hung there like incense that lingered for a while in order to be enjoyed. The long haired brunette thought over what was to come. Both of the Whites could see the future as could the brunette, but not for the unborn. They were probably getting fidgety without the information that was often put into their heads without asking._

_But, the brunette would humor the blonde sitting near uncomfortably before her. She was bored as well since she couldn't get a reading on her own offspring forged from her own blood and the blood of a man she'd never met, but read all about. Amazing what a person could find out about someone who was both dead and had given up their essence to be recreated but without the hassle of actually knowing their brood._

_Leaning forward, the brunette lightly rubbed the full belly of her very best friend and spilled the first thing she thought of from her lips, "__**I'll bet you get a boy. Strong and noble like the Blackhorns next door. And he'll have big blue eyes. What do you think?"**_

_Sudden giddiness that was tangible flowed through the light blonde's frame, a wonderful, glowing smile lighting her up as she thought. Despite becoming even more uncomfortable with the effort to get up, Mrs. White touched the green eyed woman's swollen front as well. The red fabric her friend always wore felt so soft…_

"_**Teal eyes…"**_

Shaking from her head the all too strong memories of the past, Alexis woke up back in her soft, fur covered hole of a bed. Sureshock was still in recharge with Swindle, one of their bodies on each side of her, quite happy to feel her fur and be in such a peaceful place. Not either of them woke from recharge as the black wolf gave a little shiver.

Her big, often intimidating eyes glowed in the obscurity of the underground. She never had real dreams like normal people; she always remembered things that most times had nothing to do with her. Memories of others, energy needing release, things to be remembered by her because nobody else knew or cared and the thoughts and feelings needed somewhere to go or belong.

Alexis still felt tired and despite knowing that she'd just end up remembering some part of life not her own, her torn ears folded back and she put her head back between her paws. Tail swished carelessly from the orange Mini-con to the red. Their presence was the last distinguishing thing she registered before the darkness of sleep returned.

**Arms Dealing:**

"Okay," Sam said rather perkily for a guy standing at the doorway to Hell, "Does everyone remember the plan?"

"Yeah," Leo said sarcastically, "Miles is going to wet himself, I'll throw-up, Billy will run away and you're going to die."

The youngest Guardsman gave a fake chuckle and slapped the back of his blond best friend's head before giving the others a dark look, "Mikaela will not be that bad!"

"Please!" Billy scoffed, at the same time moving discreetly back a couple inches, "My bitch of an old "friend" told her, to her face, that her daddy was a half-wolf, which makes her a quarter-bitch! We're lucky they didn't start brawling in the rec. room and alert Fanzone! She's probably in there now drinking scotch from her graduation!"

Sam's ears folded against his head and he gave a sad little sigh. It was true, but they still had to talk to her. Preferably with understanding that the others hopefully possessed.

"She's still our friend and is feeling really exposed right now," Sam reasoned, turning back to Mikaela's dorm room to knock, "Just try to be…I don't know, understanding and kind."

**Little Brother:**

The tiny little jet flew just above Jetstorm's head as the controller of the winds walked the alleys of The City, awe and wonder etched on his faceplates as he crossed one street after another and got small glances of what made this particular kingdom such a big deal. The humans that he could see were celebrating some sort of festival. There was dancing, eating, drinking, singing and many of them were wearing some sort of facemasks in strange designs. Jetsorm had a feeling that wherever Tracks was at the moment, he was enjoying himself.

"_Hey, Storm Boy,"_ Runway called back from the alley he was waiting in, _"Move faster. We're almost there."_

"But, I was wanting to be watching…"

"_After we get the panel, now move your aft."_

Jetstorm sighed like a sparkling, but did as he was told. As pretty and fascinating as all this world was, he knew better than to keep Runway waiting. He was as strong as he was experienced and Jetstorm didn't want him to make him go through yet another round of battle maneuvers in the air just because he couldn't keep up. He'd already made him crash into a mountain and the blue jet didn't want to see whatever tricks he still had hidden in that sly little processor.

When Jetstorm was once again walking below as Runway flitted above, the Mini-con sighed at the mech's downtrodden expression and said with a little less of his usual brashness, "_Look, kid, after we get the other Mini-con, we'll go find Tracks and you and that vain slagger can have at this place. Check out the sights, view the culture, blah blah blah."_

Jetstorm's disposition brightened tenfold at the Mini-cons' words, small wind twisters forming at his ankles as a result, "Are you really meaning it?"

"_Yes, but only if you get the panel before the Decepticons_," Runway conditioned, tone implying that there would be no arguing. Failure was not an option when it came to his brethren and he'd be sure that Jetstorm knew that one way or another.

"Yes, sir!" The blue jet saluted, upping his pace and suddenly in a much better mood.

**Anodyne and Sweetheart:**

Oddly fitted servos held onto Sideways and he was very glad that he had decided to go with Demolisher on this particular retrieval mission.

The motorcycle looked up rather pathetically at the mismatched pair of optics staring down at him in exasperation, "…Um, thank you…"

Demolisher didn't reply and simply pulled the purple mech up, straining a little as he took slow steps backward, his treaded peds mucking up the sandy dirt beneath him that made up a large portion of Blaze Gorge. Sideways clung rather desperately since below was what may well have been his violent watery death only seconds before. The rapids looked frightening and it was a wonder that any living beings would willingly live in the general area.

Once up on the solid ground he'd inadvertently fallen off because of his clumsiness, Sideways fell to his knees and crawled to what he hoped was a safe distance from the ravine. Demolisher looked at the smaller mech like he was a leech squirming away from the sunlight, but followed after him and didn't say a word. Nobody else was around, why bother trying to humiliate the motorcycle?

Finding a rock that could sustain his weight against it, Sideways sulked up next to it and looked back at Demolisher.

"Thank you," He repeated full-heartedly. Despite there being a facemask upon him, Sideways' optics showed plainly that he was absolutely grateful to the light colored tank. In the last couple days, what with the Mini-cons acting up and that fragging she-spider moving in, Demolisher had taken to looking after the smaller mech if for no other reason than to make sure he wouldn't have any more trouble on his servos. It was kinda nice, in a cowardly, dismal sort of way.

"Don't mention it," Demolisher finally replied, moving to seat himself next to the considerably smaller mech, "Now hold still."

Without any warning, Demolisher's odd servos held him down with one, while the other started gently prodding Sideways for some reason yet to be determined. The double thumbs the tank had carefully clung to the armor his weird green optics were focused on as the three so-called fingers ran over the parts of the motorcycle that were kind of sore. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, or at least, not for long. When Sideways started to fidget because Demolisher touched a particularly injured or dented part, the tank let go of him entirely.

"Okay, we're going back to base. Wheeljack needs to fix you up."

"Wheelja—ACK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The light colored tank had bent over, giving Sideways the impression that he was going to start prodding the purple mech's knee struts, when he actually had the intention of picking Sideways up and slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It wasn't unpleasant, but it scared Sideways for a moment. Just because Demolisher had just saved his aft, didn't mean he wouldn't beat the slag out of him in the future.

"I don't know if you should walk or drive," Demolisher responded calmly, "There may be a broken energon line in a place I can't reach. So, get comfortable."

"But-but-but-"

"But nothing. Just enjoy the right. I'll put you down before we reach the base, don't worry. I don't feel the need to humiliate you today."

**Shield:**

"_Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence. That's the way we deal with this."_

The words that Sureshock had come to learn from his connection to his partner flowed easily through his vocal processor as he climbed up the rock wall, Sari and Annabelle looking at him rather strangely as they clung to the rope around them. It was better to contemplate the Mini-cons' strange behavior than to build up the effort not to look down at the waves crashing against the cliff that could knock them back down at any moment and send them to a painful drowning.

"What's that mean?" Sari asked, confused by the words that seemed somehow out of place coming from Sureshock.

Sureshock didn't look down at the girls, too busy wedging his servos in between some higher rocks, but he did at least answer the question.

"_It's a phrase that I got from Alexis on our first trip out of Red Plain and Cold Mountain to get a panel. It's a code that the Mini-cons that learn from her live by, which is better than what our brethren do. They simply follow orders from so-called superior beings and hope for the best. We, on the other hand, learn how to fight, how to think when danger comes, how to react in dire situations. Those three words are the basis of our new way of life. Do you understand?"_

"No, not really," Sari answered, head shaking at the mass of information that had been piled onto her.

Sureshock let out a little rumble of laughter at the simple truth from the youngling, "_That's okay. One day you might."_

The kitten gave a little sigh. Why was it that adults always said that to her when she still wanted an answer to a question? If they didn't know how to fully explain it, then why not say so?

"_It's not that I don't know how to fully explain it,"_ Sureshock spoke up suddenly, alerting her, to Sari's embarrassment, that she had said that last sentence out loud, "_You just don't know how to completely grasp it yet. Age generally imparts wisdom, so someday, perhaps very soon, you'll understand. Okay?"_

Sari gave a little sound to the affirmative, suddenly not all that interested in the conversation as Sureshock finally grabbed the edge of the cliff and started to pull on the rope to get the girls on solid ground. She had to wrap her arms completely around Annabelle so the foal didn't get scratched or bruised when their stomachs skimmed the edge, Sari's knees scraping the grass and weeds in the process.

**Novel:**

"I am not your date!" Blurr shrieked in a very un-Blurr-like way as Soundwave's weird wire tentacles tried to pull him from the hollow of the camphor he'd chosen to keep the stoic mech the Pit away from him, "I hate you! Hate, hate, hate! Stop touching me!"

The communications officer didn't make any noise; he just kept trying to pull at the tree that, for some unexplainable reason, would not give him any access to the attractive Autobot sniper. The tree had happily allowed Blurr to nestle right into it, like he was its baby, but it turned completely hard at Soundwave's touch. Some of its branches were hitting the red visored Decepticon on the back of the head with such force that he felt something rattle. A few of the roots were also moving beneath Soundwave's feet, as though to lift itself off the ground to go at a run.

"Okay, I'll admit it," Barricade muttered to Cyclonus, both standing about fifteen or so yards away from the scene, leaning against one tree each, "This is so fragging spectacular. This shall be forever imprinted in my memory files."

"I told you," The helicopter laughed. The sound set a few of the branches above his head into a shaking frenzy, the flowers that were growing in them shifting to some much higher branches.

"So, how did you get this to happen exactly?" The black cruiser asked, swaying his head to the side as the tree that protected Blurr flung one branch back particularly hard, only to slam it into Soundwave's legs in hopes that he would topple over and be crushed by its roots. No such luck.

A sly little cackle issued from Cyclonus as he began his little tale, "Well, you know that fat little horned human the Autobots keep around their base to repair the other humans and sometimes the 'Bots?"

"….I think so."

"Well, according to Crumplezone, who talked to Swindle, who spoke with Sureshock who heard from Red Alert, the fat human made a pheromone drink for both the 'Bots and the humans to use if they should find someone to interface with during the humans' "mating season" and, eh… I got Crumplezone to sneak in with Swindle and swipe it. Turns out it really works."

The end to this lovely story was punctuated by Soundwave finally releasing a cry as the tree wrapped completely around his frame, held him in the air like a ragdoll and allowed Blurr to get out and run for all he was worth for the base so he could (hopefully) get some heat seeking missiles to blow the Decepticon away if he came back after him.

Barricade and Cyclonus waited a few moments, and when the tree was satisfied that the blue sniper was a safe distance away, it took Soundwave and smashed him against the ground three times before tossing him into the air to fall to the ground with the sound of his metal crunching. The blue and silver mech just sort of laid there with his arms splayed out, one leg bent backwards beneath him and the other stuck in the tree's roots as it took its spot back where it had been until this little tiff had (and here the two other 'Cons were pretty sure of) woken it up. It actually looked pretty pleased with itself.

**It Ain't a Sin:**

"_No."_

Sentinel slammed his servo onto the super computer with such force that High Wire sort of jumped up and Grindor ended up doing a belly-flop, but Sureshock just bent his knees and didn't straighten again until the tremors stopped. The orange Mini-con was actually getting his point across if Sentinel was nearing full physical violence and it made him all the more happy to stand up to the slagger.

Sentinel, for his part, only got angrier.

"You will do as I ordered you, Mini-con!"

Sureshock scoffed, "_Ah, no I won't. I don't take orders. Or, at least I don't take orders from you."_

At this point, Sentinel was seething, "You will go into the Decepticon base and get that panel from the caves or so help me I'll-"

"_You'll what?"_ Sureshock snarled, crossing his arms over his chassis and matching Sentinel barb for barb with all the airs of an officer of the highest order. Really, what was there that the Autobot could do? Out of the dozen and a half or so Mini-cons in this miserable den the Autobots resided in, Sureshock was not only the most head-strong, but also the strongest. Sentinel wouldn't have been surprised if he could beat the jet twins into stasis.

But, Sentinel had to at least try.

"I…I will get Prime to make you do it. You are in the Autobot army and by Primus, you are going to mind your rank!"

Both High Wire and Grindor looked nervously at both the mechs. They should have really tried harder to keep the big blue plow away from their friend. If they didn't find a way to stop this argument soon, one of them were either going to cease functioning or lose an important limb, like the head.

"_Well, aren't you a big mech,"_ Sureshock chuckled, ignoring both of his friends as they leapt off of the computer to avoid the soon-to-be slugfest, "_But there's a few flaws in your logic."_

"And that would be?"

"_I'm not on the Autobots' side. In fact I'm not on anyone's side. I simply stay here for my gestalt mates and to help build up the other Mini-cons' confidence and fighting skills. And I certainly don't take orders from Prime."_

Oh slag… Sentinel hadn't thought about that.

Feeling their conversation was over, Sureshock leapt off the computer as well and strolled out to the hall, hailing Sentinel the finger just before passing from sight.

**Count the Rings:**

Perceptor, once again, stared down at Bud with a question he felt only the fox-eared human could really answer for him. It had been taking the backseat of his processor for a few weeks and it had finally just shoved its way passed the theories and other important things because, for some reason the scientist couldn't pinpoint, he'd grown attached to the human and wanted to know more about the species.

"What is it Perceptor, your aura looks kinda foggy today," Bud queried, padding up close upon the master computer the microscope had been working at for going on seven hours, "Something bothering you?"

The glasses on the mech's nose wiggled a little as he nodded his head and rested it on the palm of his servo, "Yes. I was actually wondering something about you."

Bud pointed at himself, "Me? Really?"

"Well, not you completely, but close enough. I was just curious as to how long it is that the average human lives. What is your life expectancy?"

Bud tilted his head cutely at the scientist and tapped his pointer finger off of his chin in thought. There were so many answers to that question, but he figured that Perceptor was into long explanations. He was a science mech after all.

"Well," Bud began, "That really depends on the person, their abilities, whether they have unhealthy life-styles and so on. And of course, there's the added risk of dying early from injury or murder, but I could give you a rough estimate if you'd like."

"That would be satisfactory," Perceptor smiled, suddenly very happy he was learning all this from the Halfling.

Bud stood straight, like his old teacher used to when he was in primary school, and began what he anticipated to be a very long clarification, "First off, you have to put into account whether the individual is a Predator or an Herbivore. Statistically, in large groups, both have a likelihood of living a long, long time. On their own, in less than ideal conditions, their life may be cut in half. If the person has special abilities, they live much, much longer than a regular shapeshifter or average being. By, oh, five hundred years and up. Some of us, say a Pre-cog, Post-cog, Sear or demigods, will not age at all, really. People with difficult or very strange abilities cannot grow old and they cannot die. They just get bigger in physical size. Like Galloway, he's like, two thousand years old and the size of an elephant! And Sam's grandfather, former leader of The City, Archibald Witwicky, he was exactly fifty thousand, four hundred and two years old when he kicked the bucket and he _smoked_!"

The smile that on a regular basis hid from the world at large, was very pronounced for once as Perceptor leaned back in his chair and watched Bud make little or large motions of excitement with his arms. The boy really was amusing once he got more into his words and was quite a treat to listen to. The fact that he didn't mind spending a little time with the stoic microscope wasn't so bad either.

In spite of this, however, he saw a little flaw in the blonde's train of thought and had to voice it, "Wait, wait. You said the powerful humans don't grow old or die. How did Mr. Witwicky Senior perish?"

"Oh, that, uh," Bud thought a brief moment, eyes directed at nothing as he tried to straighten out his thoughts, "That might have been a tad over the truth. They can't get old or rigid like the rest of us, or die from disease or simple injury like the rest of us, but they can still be _killed_. Usually by very painful means, like drowning, burning, decapitation…except poisoning. I think they just become immune to that after a period of time yet to be determined."

"So, how long might _you_ live?" Perceptor asked somewhat seriously.

The blonde's fluffy tail flicked back and forth on the computer as he contemplated the answer to that. There really was no determining how long he might live, considering most of his family were easily killed when confronted by an enemy, and he'd yet to see one to live past the age of four hundred. But, it looked like Perceptor was looking for an answer to this question and looked more intent to get this answer than the others.

"Erm," Bud scratched the back of his head. The giant optimist inside of him whispered to give the Autobot some hope that he'd be seeing him for a while and stretching the truth wouldn't be entirely horrible, "Maybe five hundred?"

This didn't seem to change Perceptor's expression. At all. On the one hand, by Transformer standards, Bud may well live to be the age of a Cybertronian youngling, which was depressing since he'd be grey and brittle by that time, but on the other hand… it was better than how long the mech had _assumed_ the Halfling would live.

Perceptor supposed he could be happy about that.

**They Might Be Giants:**

Megatron grit his dentals together so hard that he swore he could feel some of the ones in the front dent a little. His now fairly innocent optics (by normal, nice person standards) were burning hot in rage as he stepped forward and kicked the paw before him as hard as he could.

Sadly, this only led to the monstrosity before him giving a wicked cackle, the digit he'd aimed at clacking its claw on the ground to tease him further.

"Oh, don't be like that," Alexis smiled down at the miniaturized warlord, canines now the size of Megatron himself glinting as she did so, "You'll be back to normal in a few days with the Seekers and the Mini-cons promised not to torture you too much."

The so-called "Mini-cons" she spoke of, now standing at about the size of normal Transformers and showing actual faces and emotions and personalities Megatron hadn't deigned to notice before, gave little titters and chuckles at her words. They'd keep their promise not to physically harm the now much smaller 'Cons, but they never said anything about not torturing them. They really wanted to see how he'd handle walking in their shoes for a few days. Leader-1 already had so many things planned.

Starscream, fluttering near the wolf's head, gave his own two cents at this news, "Why a few days? Why can't you turn us back today?"

Alexis' big teal eyes glanced his way and, breathing in a little air, she blew in his face, sending him whirling away like an unwanted pixie. He gave a startled yell and crashed into Sunstorm, both of them spun out of control and landed in a tangled mess in the pond the Mini-cons frequented to catch small fish.

When both came sputtering to the surface, a small koi fish flopping off of Sunstorm's helm in the process, Swindle reached over and plucked the two out. His face now sported a smile and he set the both of them delicately in his lap. He wasn't going to be mean to his partner, he was just going to enjoy the moment as Alexis, mastermind of this whole ordeal, brought her head down to eye level with the red Seeker. She spoke in a way a parent or teacher might speak to a child and she tried to put this all as simply as possible.

"Well, for starters," The Post-cog began, "In spite of what you seem to grasp about my abilities, I can't change you back with a flick of my tail. It would work if something like this had happened to you before, but it hasn't, so we have to be more careful. The Maliargum doesn't just go away, you need to eat Horplecushion and I need about three to five days to fix that up. Also, this is to teach all of you a little lesson."

"And what would that be?" Megatron huffed, scurrying up Swindle so he was standing beside the damp Seekers.

Alexis frowned irritably at the miniscule Decepticon commander, her scars on the left side of her face becoming really noticeable to Megatron for the first time with the motion, despite all the black fur that did a pretty good job covering it up, but answered his question, "That would be something for you to find out on your own. Now," And here she turned around and started walking deeper into the dark woods, Sureshock switching to his alt mode to follow, "A new Mini-con has been activated in The City. Leader-1 and Swindle will take you there. Better hurry, though. Optimus and the Autobots are already headed that way. Have fun kids."

Megatron tried to make words, but in that moment of anger, nothing but static came from his mouth. Starscream made a similar display, but ceased once he saw Swindle and Leader-1 smiling at them.

"…What?"

"Nothing boss," The red racing mech said, "Just happy, is all."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers and I never will.**

Okay, this chapter is entirely focused on the beginning of when the humans take the Transformers, 'Bots and 'Cons alike, to the planet with the sword that will end the war. It is particularly important for me to write this as a full-out chapter because, as smart as my readers are, it may be hard to have the full weight of this come about in a simple drabble or sentence thing. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_Shiver my timbers  
Shiver my sails  
Dead men tell no tales.  
–__**Muppet Treasure Island**__._

* * *

**RLS Double Edge:**

Stepping aboard the ship that would take him, his crew and (here a little part of his processor did a victory/drunk/happy dance) the Decepticons to the planet Brilig, Optimus Prime felt a little tingle of anticipation run up his spinal struts.

It didn't look anything like what they had on Cybertron. Not all size and thrusters and power. This ship, made by the finest architects and technicians on Earth, was the picture of class, beauty and simplicity. While the flooring and most of the whole ship was made of metal that he couldn't identify, the masts and general objects that would be used to sail and carry the ship on, were made of wood and jewels. The sails above his helm, bigger than three of him, were some sort of infused linen and liquid metal. It was like some of the dreams he'd had when he was young.

"How do you like it?"

Looking away from the carvings in the railing, Optimus glanced down at his ever faithful guides through Earth and smiled beneath his mask.

Rad and Carlos were looking curiously up at him, expectant looks on their faces. Wind being moved and pushed through the docks pushed and billowed around them, ruffling their hair and making them look all the more younger than they already were. High Wire and Grindor stood beside them with the sacks of Earth belongings they'd brought for the purpose of this trip. Optimus supposed that they would miss this odd little planet and were bringing things to stave off the "home sickness" they'd be feeling.

"It's absolutely wondrous," The semi replied whole-heartedly, "Nothing like I've ever seen before."

Carlos and Rad chuckled at the commander. This was perhaps the first time they'd seen and heard him act so young. And it seemed as though he meant his words, since he went right back to looking at everything, while at the same time watching them and his crew bustle about the gigantic ship.

"We do aim to please," Carlos replied, moving along the railing to look for the other Autobots. The Decepticons weren't to be coming on for at least another hour so he wanted to enjoy himself.

Rad stayed with the Autobot commander, though. High Wire following after waving Grindor off with Carlos, the Spaniard having spotted Bumblebee playing a little too close to the end deck with Sari.

The blue and white leader took slow steps upon the deck, optics roving over the strange symbols marking certain objects and some of the ruin words stitched into the weird sails. Hesitantly, Optimus took a servo and ran a finger over the sail that was close enough to the deck for him to reach and gave another little shiver. He'd never felt anything like it. There was some sort of energy moving through it that caused an electric shock to tickle his systems. Not at all unpleasant, but extraordinarily different.

"What's this made out of, Rad?" Optimus asked, still running his fingers through the sail and giving a rumbling chuckle with each shock.

The blond boy smiled at High Wire knowingly, both enjoying the look of Optimus doing something so strange, but answered before the mech looked down and looked embarrassed, "That's a solar sail. It's made from a special compound developed in The City to keep a ship on course in zero gravity, while at the same time receiving energy from the suns and stars we pass by on the way to our destination."

"That's amazing…"

From behind them, coming up the steps built into the deck especially for the Transformers, Red Alert came to find his commander, but paused at the fairly amusing sight.

"You humans really are brilliant," Optimus complimented, "My men on Cybertron would be quite happy to analyze this someday."

"Oh, some of us will be doing that today," Red Alert finally spoke up, approaching the two in his normal, calm way.

Surprised, Optimus immediately let go of the solar sail and hid both his arms behind his back, "Ah! Red Alert! I was wondering where you'd gone off to. Is, uh, everyone on board?"

"Well," Red Alert said, optics moving to look out over the expanse of the docks of Jade Country, mentally counting off the crew members that had been on the roster for this journey, "The humans, most of the Mini-cons and all of our men are here, but we're still waiting on Sparkplug, Sureshock, Mirage, the jet Mini-cons, the Decepticons and their one human."

High Wire, having been silent for most of the morning, finally spoke up, _"Actually, they're on the docks. Sureshock comm'ed me, he said they'll be here in a few minutes, they're just experiencing some…technical difficulties."_

Rad, and the two Autobots, looked at the little blue mech with the same thought running through their heads at exactly the same time, '_Technical difficulties?'_

About to, at the same time, ask High Wire what he meant by that, he suddenly gave a little beep-whistle and made for the railing. This caused Rad to give him an odd look, but followed after him, looking at what he was looking at and drawing the two mechs to look as well. What they saw gave them all a little foreboding feeling.

The Decepticons were all coming up the ramp and into the ship, Megatron up front with a mortified look on his face and the rest following rather quickly, but little scuffling noises and whines sounding off as they did so. Something was being brought up with them, they were just grouping together to hide whatever it was. Rather a well coordinated effort, considering that they couldn't see exactly what was making the noise.

"Well, what do you know, they're on time," Red Alert muttered cheerily, optics focusing on Cyclonus and Barricade, as they were the last to enter the ship as the ramp retracted from the solidity of the dock, effectively making sure everyone that was on the electronic roster on the main deck didn't leave the ship unless given permission by the Captain.

"Optimus?" Hot Shot called from the main deck up to the Autobot commander, "The Decepticons are here!"

"Alright Hot Shot," The semi responded, stepping back down with Red Alert and their two little friends to meet with the horned leader, "Go get the others so we can go over the rules."

"Yes sir."

Hot Shot departed as told, as did Red Alert after giving his commander a nod and Optimus waited for Megatron to come up from below, arms crossed and leaning against the railing of the ship. Rad wondered what the blue and red mech was thinking about all this. The two leaders had agreed to be civil until they got this whole mess straightened out about the Gire Blade on the planet they were to travel to, but they still had some things to go over with Captain Ron Witwicky about the actual trip. Everyone knew that neither faction were very good with each other, a person could only imagine what it would be like with no escape for some weeks of travel with humans.

* * *

Walking passed all the multiple Autobots and humans that just couldn't help but stare at him, his crew and the little display being pushed forward making little undignified squeals all the way, Megatron couldn't help the sarcastic thought swimming through his processors.

'_Well, this is going well so far.'_

After a few moments of looking for a way up to the decks, the horned mech was confronted by sunlight and faced with his eternal rival, looking rather mellow and relaxed on this alien ship that he was still unsure how he felt about. But, that was Optimus for you. Calm, despite probably being in awe of this thing they were in the middle of.

Megatron nodded at the Autobot leader, approaching him to stand just to his right, but not leaning against it like Optimus. He didn't feel like breaking the ship just yet, "Optimus, I see this thing is to your liking."

"It is," Optimus replied lightly, "But, I've been here for a few hours. You'll get to like it as well."

"Hummph, maybe. I doubt some of my men or Mini-cons will though. Or the girl. Starscream had to drag the little wretch through the crowd for three blocks. I honestly don't understand how you can tolerate so many of them, let alone trust them to get us to some planet none of us have ever even heard of."

"They're a clever race," Optimus said, "And I trust them to help us. They've certainly proven themselves thus far."

Megatron didn't want to admit it, but the other leader had a point. They had proven themselves on numerous occasions, finding Mini-cons, defending them from strange beasts of their planet, healing them when they were confronted by other worldly viruses, etc. Megatron just didn't quite trust them with space equipment yet.

"So," Megatron began again, finding a semi-different topic of conversation, "How many of the fleshies did you bring with you?"

Optimus chuckled at the new subject matter, "A little over a dozen. And there's the Captain, but some of them weren't my choice to bring. They came of their own volition."

"Well, lucky you," Megatron spoke sarcastically.

Curiosity reared its head for Optimus and he gave a little glance toward the galley where Starscream and some of the Mini-cons were disappearing down. The Seeker was holding something in his servo wrapped in a blanket, and holding it up to his chassis. One of the Mini-cons at his heals were Sureshock, so the curiosity peeked and he asked Megatron, "Who did you bring that was making all that commotion a few minutes ago?"

The horned mech seemed to tense up a bit at the question, but he was too embarrassed to hide it completely and responded since the other mech had seen he'd been affected and would just keep bothering him if not answered, "The wolf. The one that gave the Mini-cons the Maliargum used to shrink myself and two of my men. And of course, your men."

Optimus offlined his optics a moment, then brought them back online, like a blink and gave a little head tilt, "Rad's old friend? What was she so upset about?"

"As it turns out, she can't stand the thought of flying. She has a tremendous fear of great heights and was practically spitting nails when the realization of being on a ship actually hit her."

"Not a fear of heights," A confident voice corrected from below them, startling Megatron for the first and Optimus for the second time that day, "A fear of falling and going 'splat'."

Both mechs looked down between them to find Rad looking up at them with something wrapped in a thin layer of cloth clutched in his arms. He gave a little wave after moving the object to his hip, "Which way did Sureshock go? High Wire wants to speak with him and I'm looking for Alexis."

Optimus pointed towards the galley and Rad gave him a little nod of thanks. Giving another little nod in Megatron's direction, the blond elk made for the door that easily accommodated the Transformers on board and disappeared downstairs. Optimus noted the tiny little half-smile on his lips as he went.

A little swell of paternal pride spread through the blue and red semi. Out of all the humans on this ship, and out of most that he'd met as of late, Rad was by far the most caring and understanding. Optimus was sure a while ago that whoever prophesied that the young man would end these eons long war was most probably right. He just wished the boy would stop doubting himself so much…

Shaking his head of the thoughts forming, Optimus turned back to Megatron, who as it turned out, was watching Rad leave for the lower areas of the ship as well. He had a thoughtful look in his bloody red optics, but not especially dark like that look on his face usually was. It was almost what Optimus looked like when thinking deep thoughts. He really didn't think Megatron could look like that without drinking at least four cubes of high grade energon.

It kinda freaked the Autobot leader out…

"Something going on up there?" Optimus asked, lightly tapping the side of his rival's helm.

Megatron's optics shuttered at the contact and he gave Optimus an annoyed look, servo waving the other away, "Nothing important. Now, where is the captain of this floating tub? I was under the impression that he was supposed to speak with us before we left the docks."

* * *

After looking about the whole ship, main deck, the bridge, the crow's nest, the galley, crew's quarters, the longboat bay, the two leader mechs found Captain Ron Witwicky in the State Room, writing a few reports and charting things on the navigational equipment at the same time. Both of them had to bend over a little in order to fit inside without hitting their heads on the ceiling, Megatron actually bending his knees because his horns made a little break in the doorway. Prime had to bite his glossa so he wouldn't laugh.

"Gentlemen," The lively looking human with a dog's tail and ears greeted pleasantly enough, giving them each a nod without stopping the tasks he was occupied with.

"Captain," Optimus greeted back, Megatron not even bothering in consideration of the fact that the human didn't seem to be paying much attention to either of them.

Both the mechs waited until the Captain was finished with his current work before inquiring about what they needed to go over about the voyage. Ron gave them each a real measuring look for the first time, eyes much more attentive and clever than Sam and settled in the beaten up chair behind his desk that was running over with paperwork, scrolls, feather pens and navigational maps. It was amazing how he could even place his elbows on the edge and lean his chin upon his hands, a filled cup of coffee barely balancing on the corner he was closest to.

"Okay," Ron began seriously, "I don't know much about you bots other than what my wife, my son, Fanzone and Banacheck have told me, but this is my ship and you will abide by my rules. Now, both of you had better listen carefully, because I'm only going to explain the rules to you once. Questions may be held off until the end. I do not want any interruptions and you can relay all this to your own men once this is over with, are we clear?"

Optimus and Megatron gave each other a small look of surprise, but both gave the okay for the human to give them the rules.

"Alright," Ron began, back leaning comfortably into his chair, "There will be no brawling on the ship unless you are in the training area. If caught fighting, those responsible will be put in the solitary brig for two days with only one meal per day. If someone wants to have relations, one must make a formal request first and then can be shown to the small room we have for that. Everyone is expected to lend a hand in the daily chores, including preparations of meals and assisting in the general maintenance of the ship. Meals occur three times a day, or as many times as you mechs need to keep functioning. You can sleep in the berths provided, but if you prefer hammocks, you'll have to deal with it, because there is no hammock big enough to hold your weight. Unless of course you have Maliargum, but that's a lost cause on this particular ship."

The leader of the Autobots wasn't sure if should be worried when he saw Megatron bite his lip components at that remark, but ignored it for the time being.

"Any questions?" Ron asked, repressing a yawn behind one hand. Perhaps he was getting too comfortable in his chair…

"Are our men to keep their differences aside while on the voyage?" Optimus asked first.

"You bet your ass. I don't like people discussing things even we humans don't talk about in polite conversation," The human replied hotly.

Megatron gave a little snort at Prime's question, but he had his own that needed to be answered, "My men and I brought a… female with us, for medical and other purposes. She's rather afraid of flying, though. Do you object to her remaining in the Galley or Longboat Bay unless totally necessary?"

The Captain's ears noticeably perked at the slight pause and careful wording in Megatron's inquiry, but put it off for the moment. He thought it over for a second before answering, "If she's afraid of flying, then why is she on my ship?"

"She was the closest thing to a medic we've had for a while," The horned mech answered, words still careful and thought over, "And she's probably the only reason the Mini-cons haven't killed us while in recharge, so it was important that we bring her on this trip. Plus she's useful in other areas…"

"Mmm, very well. But I will have to speak with her about the conditions later on. Anything else?"

"I'm good."

"That's everything."

"Good," Ron sighed, and despite all efforts, he sank back into his chair, the need to sleep after staying awake for over thirty hours coming full force, "You're dismissed to go and pass on the rules to your men. We'll be leaving in about two hours. Could one of you send in Sam if you see him, I'd like to be awake when we shove off."

"Of course, Captain," Optimus replied, large servo flicking off the light switch for the drowsy human as Megatron ducked out first. Despite all efforts, the horned mech managed to scratch the door frame once more, giving a Cybertronian expletive as Optimus followed. Some debris fell from the door as he shut it, landing on his still lowered helm.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers and I never, ever will.

* * *

_She's got scrawny legs and knobby knees,  
For all we know, the gal's got fleas.  
She can't even fly and that won't do,  
So say good-bye.  
She's not for you.  
-Thumbelina._

* * *

**Everyone's the Same:**Sari did a little flip in the air, paws landing with unpolished grace on the large rock that had been behind her. Annabelle let out a little whinny synonymous with a laugh and did a tiny little trot with her front legs. This new creature her daddy had introduced her to was so much fun!

From a twenty or so yards away from them, Ironhide and Bumblebee watched the scene curiously and rather protectively. As those were their charges, they were assigned to watch out for Predators that might come looking for an easy meal when the girls were playing. The two 'Bots didn't mind, Ironhide even less so if he got the chance to test out one of his cannons on those hyenas Jazz had mentioned seeing earlier.

"Again!" Annabelle cheered, awkwardly trying to do a jump like she'd seen her mom and dad do many times. Unfortunately, she came up a little short and tumbled to her rear. She didn't cry though, she just looked a little confused before standing back to her wobbly legs to shake the dirt from her slightly curled blond tail.

Sari, despite being in her second form for this little play date, was more than happy to do as the little one asked. Being a cat didn't mean necessarily mean that she would be snide, ignore everything people asked and just lie in the sun all day. No, she fancied being more helpful and less boring than that.

Standing on her hind legs and allowing her tail to balance her for a second, Sari stood rigid and finally did another flip, this time in a perfect loop, to land back where she had been standing. At the laughter she received from not only the foal but Bumblebee as well, she stood to her hind legs one more time and did a bow, one arm before her chest and the other behind her, like a conductor for a symphony.

"Primus, she's so cute!" Bumblebee gushed in a somewhat low volume so the kitten wouldn't hear him. The black topkick could hear him perfectly, though. He stopped polishing his cannons to give the yellow menace a strange look. As if Bumblebee had been on this planet too long and it was affecting his processor. He agreed that the sparklings were cute, but not to Bumblebee's degree of fascination.

'_Younglings…_' Ironhide scoffed internally, going back to his cannons as a tiny green butterfly caught Annabelle's attention and she and Sari started chasing it around Bumblebee's stabilizing servos.

**Snow White Queen- Evanescence:**

"Does it hurt?" Glyph asked gently, fingers carefully pinching the arrow sticking out from Lori's shoulder, some of the Halfling's red fluid staining the femme's servos in the process.

Lori gave a pained whine at Glyph's ministrations, but didn't snap at her. The Autobot was only trying to help and getting her flustered wouldn't be good for the situation, "It'll stop hurting once Fred or Sari looks over it. Don't worry. And when I can clench my hand again without flinching, I'm going to hunt down Masterson and smash his teeth in. That'll teach him to shoot at someone with their back turned."

Glyph felt her smile waver at the promise the canine made. Humans could be so violent sometimes! Of course, in comparison to Transformers that was kind of a hypocritical thing to say. They'd been in an _eon's_ long fight after all, and the longest war the humans had barely lasted a hundred years. Most of the fleshy fights were put to rest after five years or less, so really, they were actually really sedate and easy going…

"Um, Earth to Glyph?" Lori asked, eyebrows rising at the sudden look of the green femme zoning out like Bud sometimes did when he felt a conversation had gotten too boring.

"Sorry!" Glyph replied, fingers tightening a little too hard on the arrow as she yanked it out without really thinking it through. Lori gave a surprised, obligatory cry when the horrible, splintered object left her body, even more blood covering Glyph's servo she was crouched on. The Halfling didn't draw the crying out, though. She bit her tongue when Glyph realized just how stupid that had been and started apologizing a mile a minute in what Lori assumed were five different languages. One involving a lot of clicks and whirs that may have been Cybertronian. Lori couldn't make out the words but said with a forgiving smile, "It's okay. Calm down and hand me my bandana to stop the bleeding now."

The blue optics of the femme still looked remorseful, but she did as asked, bloody servo picking up the bandana left on the table they were at, and pressed it very carefully with one finger, the pinky, against the half-wolf's wound.

**She Must Think I'm Crazy- Thriving Ivory:**

Bumblebee stared at Rosanna as though she'd sprouted wings and was about to blow him away like the Seekers or Cyclonus. She had a smoking gun, metaphorically, and he was afraid that she would pull the trigger around his brother, or one of the older Autobot's or (and may Primus grant him a quick death should this happen) Professor Sumdac. If the tan Healer found out about this, he'd slowly dismember the yellow bug through the wounds he'd healed up by undoing them. Like tearing out a scab or stitches and then working his way back through much older healed injuries. That was the power of Healers. They could fix, would fix you, but if you crossed them, they'd tear you back down and then make sure you had to eat through a tube for the rest of your natural life.

Especially if said Healer found out that the currently youngest member of the Earth stationed Autobots had an attraction towards his daughter. All because of the little singing femme who was looking at Bumblebee in an oh-so innocent fashion that Bumblebee just knew was a mask for what she was really thinking about him in that moment. He knew she probably thought he was a disgusting freak for falling into love with a being so much younger than him and so different than him that he should be blown up with dynamite for even thinking about Sari in _that_ way.

"It's not against our laws," He started suddenly, crossing his arms as if to protect himself from her drawing a weapon, "And not against any laws here, either, since I haven't done anything!"

Rosanna tilted her head curiously at his sudden defensive position, but said nothing as he continued.

"And, okay, I'll admit it's really strange, but nobot has any objections to the Mini-cons dating _their_ humans! Yes, I know I'm not a Mini-con and I know she's not my human, but she's really sweet and really perfect and I can wait until she's old enough before I say anything about it to her! I'll tell Prime about it too, as soon as the time comes, just- WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" He shouted indignantly. If she was going to mock him, at least she could do it behind his back!

Rosanna wasn't laughing, per se, but she was trying to hold back some giggles threatening to spill from her lips before he started yelling at her and not just near her. Then she just smiled and flicked Bumblebee's lack-of-nose.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, silly."

"…..You're not?"

"Nope! I'm actually kinda happy for you. You get to experience a very special connection to the universe!"

"Connection?" Now Bumblebee was all too confused by this new turn of events. Rosanna was obviously much stranger than people gave her credit.

**If Only, If Only:**

"_Well, what do you know,"_ Sureshock chuckled rather maliciously, looking from his perch on the med bay's computer at Hot Shot, Blurr and Bulkhead "_That Maliargum really does work. I'm gonna have to remember to thank my girl later for making my millennium quite a bit happier."_

All three mechs, standing now without Prowl or Glyph since they had gone to get Optimus and Red Alert, glared intently up at the orange Mini-con. Sureshock just continued to look down at them, legs crossed and arms folded, looking all for the world like a tiny little demon about to offer them a deal with the devil. Or, in this case, another demon who might as well have been the devil, the slagger….

Hot Shot and Blurr both now stood a foot shorter than Bulkhead at seven feet and both of them pulled out their guns and fired at Sureshock, missing on purpose but simply wanting to get Sureshock to stop looking at them like a bunch of parasites. He always looked like that, but now it annoyed them more since parasites were basically what they were at the moment. It hurt that he was doing this for no reason at all and he didn't seem to care that this could easily get them killed if the Decepticons found out.

"You little monster!" Hot Shot yelled, tossing aside his weapon and running to the ladder the humans used to get to the top of the computer. It held his weight and he made it to the top. Sureshock didn't even flinch as he stomped over to try and intimidate him and leaned over to look at him straight in the optics.

"Why are you doing this?" The yellow Autobot asked, "What did we ever do to you to deserve this?"

"_Would you like the short list or the long_?" Sureshock replied. He still hadn't moved at all, and he sounded much too amused by all of this.

"Change us back!" Hot Shot demanded, grabbing Sureshock's shoulders and shook him like a doll, ignoring the objections from Bulkhead as Blurr made his way up the ladder as well.

Sureshock, completely ignoring Hot Shot's words, kicked the yellow mech between the legs and stayed standing as Hot Shot went down, clutching the injured area, "_No. I don't have any intention of changing you back until you learn a little lesson. Until that lesson is learned, I suggest you keep your servos to yourself if you want to keep them."_

With that said, Sureshock completely bi-passed the ladder and simply jumped the console. When he landed just four feet shy of Bulkhead, the once-giant took a step away from him.  
**  
I'm No Superman:**

Her tiny, slightly bleeding paws moved skillfully over Starscream's unconscious form as Alexis tried to put him back together before he woke up and decided to shoot at her, or before that big ebony weapons expert decided to go down stream towards them and finish the job he'd started. She really didn't want to deal with that right at the moment. One thing at a time.

The metal that had melted under the assault of Ironhide's plasma blast and splintered in some area's reformed, straightened and looked as though an invisible force were trying to fit them together like giant puzzle pieces. Most of the metal that had been blown off of the Seeker came scurrying out of the river or the shore and went back to where they had been. Her claws touched delicately at the burnt and exposed wiring, pushing them back within Starscream's chest plate and what she supposed was Cybertronian muscle. Her energy, the stuff that kept her on her toes and alive so far, poured into the Decepticon easily to make it as if this injury had never happened. It hurt the wolf like a sting from a hornet to do this thing, but it would have hurt a lot more if she hadn't eaten that morning.

Giving a little sigh as she finished Starscream's torso, wings and lesser wounds, she carefully scurried up to the part of his chest that was thickest and protected his Spark. She was in his direct line of vision should he wake up, but she didn't worry as she started on the dent that would have been a gaping hole had Starscream not turned away from the blast at the last second. It slowly reformed with an almost polished shine, like he had been when flying above the river and he had been ambushed by Ironhide and Jazz.

"Well," Alexis chuckled to herself, giving his healed area a light pat, "That ought to do it."

Turning and obviously not hearing him power up to come back online, she made to jump from his chest. However, she got a rather big surprise when she heard his intakes give a hitch and her head swiveled to see he was very much awake and staring at her rear-end with his jaw hanging open.

Embarrassed and suddenly very aware of how this might look to someone who had just been shot off a canyon into a river only to wash up with something predatory and in a rather awkward position on their chest, Alexis just sort of stood still and sent a little prayer to whoever ran the universe that Starscream go back into recharge.

**Crouch In:**

At first Prowl thought his optics were malfunctioning, making him see things that really weren't there.

But, then he felt Sari's grip on his leg tighten fantastically and Carlos unsheathe his sword. The thing in the entrance to the bridge tunnel, was indeed real. And he was frightened of it.

Fanzone told him when he, Yoketron and the children left for Whipstaph looking for the All Spark to bring a guide, to bring a Post or Pre-cog because Whipstaph was, short of Cold Mountain, probably the most dangerous place on earth. A veritable floating city, unpopulated for thousands of years as it drifted above the ocean and sucked in the strange and unknown for its own delight. Prowl remembered the Guardsman say that it was also like a creature. Doing what it wanted, when it wanted. Good and evil in one place.

The dark motorcycle was experiencing the truth in those words as he stared at what Yoketron had been sucked into. It was a sort of like a funnel underground, all black and sooty, smelling of rotting flesh and the smog he remembered back on Charr. He had only seen a black mark on the sand and Yoketron had tried to simply walk over it.

Then it came to life, splitting open and somehow or another sprung up and swallowed the white and gold master. Yoketron hadn't even time to scream as he was drawn in and Prowl saw him disappear.

Prowl took a small step back, Carlos doing the same, along with Sari, and like a trigger, the black funnel settled back to the ground, soot dissipating and leaving nothing but what looked like normal dried mud with cracks checker boarding all through it.

All three of them, as one, turned and started running back to the broken bridge that led back to the mainland. If what Fanzone said was true, if there was any hope for Yoketron to be alright and in one piece within the next thirteen hours, they had to get back and get a Pre-cog or Post-cog. Billy would help, that was for sure. He was a Guardsman, it was his duty. And, anyway, if he wouldn't help them, there was still Rad's father. Mr. White was always willing to lend a helping hand. So, if they wanted both Yoketron and the All Spark's, they had to get back to Red Plain and soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own the Transformers, they are the property of Hasbro/Takara, etc.

* * *

_I will tell you a Russian Love Poem,  
It could be long  
It could be short.  
Who knows?  
-Law and Order: SVU_

* * *

**Liquid Confession:**

Rad took another long, if not especially painful gulp of his vodka and his smile went particularly empty. High Wire was unsure if he should really be listening to the blond, but he really didn't want to take him back to the hotel until he had gotten this stuff off of his chest. Primus knew it had been eating Rad up inside for a while now. High Wire loved the young man; he could wait a little and listen.

"You know, lately I've been thinking about how horrible I am," Rad laughed drunkenly, "I've been thinking about the Autobots and the Decepticons and how much I just want to beat the shit out of Keller. But, mostly…I've been thinking about Alexis."

Rad took another drink and High Wire put an arm around the taller male so he didn't fall out of his spinning bar room chair. The blue mech didn't understand about the humans and drinking very much, but from what he'd gathered, if taken in large amounts they tended to confess their sins or reveal things that may have best been left alone. It looked like Rad was confessing a sin, so High Wire gathered Rad from his seat so he could get them back to the hotel before he got too loud in front of the other drunks and the bartenders.

"Did you know," Rad started again, rather rhetorical as they left the bar and started walking the sidewalk, still wet from the rain, "That when she came back from the dead, I had never felt so happy, like I was getting my twin sister back…" The smile left him completely as they turned the corner, High Wire finally having to sling Rad's arm over his shoulder. Rad's balance had finally started to waver as the alcohol kicked in, "It was pleasant at first, but it died quickly."

"_Why's that?"_ High Wire asked, trying to keep the young man awake, so the mech wouldn't have to start carrying dead weight up the hotel steps. The place didn't have an elevator, if Rad fell asleep it was five floors of carrying the blond their room and having to wrangle the room key out of Rad's dozen or so pockets.

A fake, pain filled bark or laughter left Rad as they were a block from the hotel, "Because she wasn't really Alexis anymore. She won't ever be the girl that was practically my sister because…"

"_Because?"_

Mild trembling started up Rad's body and it took a moment for High Wire to realize that the human was trying not to cry, "…Because I'm too much of a coward to say how sorry I am for never coming to look for her….Because I can't get Carlos to tell her he's sorry for smashing her head in with his newly hoof adorned foot…But, mostly because…now I can't even look at her and believe that everything's going to be okay."

Finally making it to the hotel and through the door the blond lets a few tears run down his face. He's not sobbing and for that High Wire is grateful, but High Wire can't help but think certain things about this are eerily similar to a situation Sparkplug had a few months ago with Optimus. Only, the two of them had been alone in the Jade Country forests and it had taken four cubes of high grade before the Autobot commander started confessing sins that the small yellow mech wouldn't repeat.

High Wire couldn't help but think absently that these were probably one of the things that leaders meant for great things were cursed with; the inability to believe that things out of their control were not their fault.

**Royals and Oil:**

Tentatively, Alice picked up the oil can Raoul had pointed to and flinched when the sticky black fluid touched her skin. She honestly didn't know how the mutt could tolerate being around machines and their fluids all day and night bar when he was dancing on the streets. He was attractive enough, he could get a better job in the restaurants or (and she blushed a little at this thought) perhaps an escort service. But no, he enjoyed machinery too much. He lived in this shabby little repair shop and would most likely continue to do so until the day he died.

She wondered how he even managed to keep this place afloat. The few vehicles in the City that existed were kept in museums or were rusting into nothingness in the trenches and alleyways. The only people in the whole of the capital of technology that could afford the unused vehicles were royals and businessmen. And even they—the thought of Prometheus Black and Porter C. Powell sent unpleasant shivers up her spine and wings—only kept the things out of scientific curiosity. Or tampering, in Black's case.

Shrugging the thoughts away, the young lady turned and found Raoul's tanned hand waiting impatiently for the can, Tracks' hood was still raised and even in his vehicle mode the white winged girl had the feeling he was giving her a look of exasperation.

"Sorry," She said as Raoul took the can, "It's a lot stickier than I thought it would be."

"Oh, really? What did you expect it to be like, little princess? Silk, velvet, water?" The blue race car asked as the street dancer started fiddling with his oil cap, using that funny little wire to stir the less than preferable oil that was still in there, still inside of him, sticking in his pipes and started to clog up his important circulatory lines. His engines gave a little rumble at the princess as she looked at him, exasperated by their attitudes to her. Silly birdy should have just been grateful they'd brought her along and not left her to those street urchins and their nasty, grabby little paws.

"You said Lori knew you?" Alice asked Raoul, getting off the subject of the oil… that was starting to sink into her _**skin**_, "Will she know how to get here?"

"Of course," Raoul said, "But it'll be awhile. She went to see Mikaela and she has to bring along some warrior from Red Plain with a… what did you call them, Tracks?"

"A Mini-con. His name is Grindor, I think."

"Did you come into the City with him?" Raoul asked curiously, fingers twiddling with a particularly tight nut on a bolt that looked one size too small for Tracks. Perhaps it was causing the mech some pain…

"No," The corvette replied, seeming to sink on his wheels as the nut was loosened off by wonderfully deft fingers, "I came here directly from Cybertron. They screwed up the co-ordinates in the warpgate and I landed hundreds of miles away from Optimus Prime's group, where I was supposed to go. From what you've told about Red Plains, though, I'm glad I landed here. I'd like to be fully prepared before I go to a land of sands, rocks and other unpleasant things."

**Gestalt or Connection, However You Want to Put It:**

The first thing Rad tended to feel when he felt Carlos and Alexis rerouting their consciousness through him was a sort of subdued fear. That wasn't always how it felt, but nine out of ten, that was simply how it was. He supposed it was natural, after all, unlike the Mini-cons or other Transformers, the humans were flesh and blood and couldn't readily shut down the fight or flight feelings that came with giving over their body and mind to another person. Them even more so, seeing as two of them were Herbivores and one of them was a Predator. Fear would perhaps never go away.

The second thing that came, and would forever come whenever this rare connection happened, was pain. When Transformers did a link-up, their forms shifted to conform to each other, bending so they wouldn't hurt, wires connecting to each other's outlets to relay information which eventually ended up all going to the one in control, like Optimus or High Wire. When a link-up happened between the humans, somebody or everybody would hurt. Their bones had to snap and break, their flesh had to tear and scar and scab and everything else had to find a place to go that would always lead up to Rad.

Rad, being on top, the shoulders, neck and head, was in command. Carlos and Alexis' consciousness were pushed to the side, leaving him to handle all their baggage and handle their bodies fitted against them. He wouldn't mind so much if handling their abilities didn't make him want to vomit. His ability was bad enough without adding theirs to the mix. But, as High Wire said, he was the most level-headed and therefore, the most responsible. He could handle it.

Carlos, stuck as the rest of the body, was perfectly made to handle the physical aspects of this union, but not the mental. Grindor told him that though he was intelligent, he was very hard-headed and made too many rash decisions. But, Carlos didn't really mind, anything a Predator or worse threw their way, he was strong enough to leave his strength in Rad's more than capable hands.

Alexis, her body having to be the skin and protective fur, was less than happy connecting to the boys in such a demeaning and worse yet, private, way. But, Sureshock and Rad always asked politely, so she was under the impression that she had to do it. Besides, connecting to Carlos and making having him suffer through feeling the whole of her wrap around him, body and mind, was such a sadistic pleasure that it was hard to say no anyway.

In the complete transformation, Rad didn't like to see them in any reflective surface. Well, actually, it wasn't so much _them_, since he was in charge and the only one fully aware of anything, but still. While the link-up made him-them-whatever able to reach Optimus' shoulder and even carry the Autobot leader, there were still certain…upsetting details that came with the package. They-he-whatever looked like a red elk, mostly, but the thick horns had gained two extra prongs and turned jet black like a gazelle's, compliment of Carlos. Legs were sturdier and chest was broader, which would have been fantastic if not for the part thrown in that had Carlos bitching for hours on end whenever he _did_ get a look through their now glowing yellow eyes. The Mini-cons said it made them look exotic, but Rad knew from experience that a word like that simply meant they-he-whatever looked scary as hell.

Their fur, not hair, **fur**, was black as sin with gold and dark brown spots on their shoulders that were reminiscent of a jaguar and was wispy, but at the same time matted with what Rad could only _hope_ was mud. He didn't like to linger on that too often. Their-his-whatever's ears were not huge and fluid, but like a dogs, ripped up and fuzzy, yet able to swivel around just as well. Their feet, which ended in hooves, split into three digits and there was a claw above the ankles that Sureshock helpfully told them was "Used for breaking a run or pinning down an animal so a Predator could snap its neck."

_Charming._

But, that wasn't even the worst part. Now, he-they-whatever had _fangs_ and Rad kept puncturing their tongue.

And actually, there was a worse part to come. When they broke apart, to go their separate ways, their bodies had to twist back into shape and some things lingered in their systems. Alexis got to suck up most of the boys' energy to assist her living condition and was perhaps the only one out of the three that received anything from the transaction, always walking away with a swagger. Carlos always ended up feeling completely exhausted and sometimes he ended up with the injuries received in battle or what his gestalt partners had before they connected, leading to him sleeping for a day or two to regain energy. Rad, and here a half-sad smile crossed his features, somehow was left with his friends' special abilities. Using Carlos' gift was fun; it made it easy for him to play games with the Mini-cons and Sari and even made his Push more powerful in battle practice. But, when Alexis' ability clung to him like a bad cold, the young man left to see anyone who needed a perk up and told them something about themselves that nobody else knew, even themselves.

Despite how little this connection occurred, Rad felt, perhaps, that High Wire was right. It was good, despite everything else, made him feel closer to his best friends despite the years that separated them.

**Payback Rolls Downhill:**

In spite of the fact he knew this was all quite pointless and despite the fact he knew the little monster would get him back twice as bad, Grimlock continued to scrabble at the hole Sureshock had disappeared down. Yes, Snarl had done a stupid thing and gone into those scary woods against Perceptor's orders and perhaps deserved the round and round way of punishment that was all Sureshock's style, but Snarl was Grimlock's teammate and didn't deserve to be left dizzy and confused on the rec. room's floor.

He deserved a fair fight, with fists and lots of injuries, like an honorable Dinobot, not being humiliated by a puny Mini-con!

Growling, Grimlock took a step back and transformed into robot mode, "Mean orange woof-woof come back! Come and fight Grimlock in fair fight!"

"_What's fair about a mech who's taller than Prime fighting a mech who's smaller than the humans?"_ Sureshock's amused voice questioned, orange wolf head poking out of the hole for a mere second before ducking back inside to chuckle as Grimlock attempted to pull him out.

"You fought Snarl with no problems, now you fight Grimlock with no problems!"

"_Snarl's an idiot,"_ Sureshock scoffed, backing up a little more as the Dinobot leader's fingers almost scratched him, "_And that was no fight. That was me telling him to keep out of Cold Mountain. You lot are not allowed in there without an escort. A Mini-con escort and I wanted him to remember it this time. If I wanted to fight him, Red Alert would have him in the repair bay, not recharging."_**Ticks:**

"You know Mikaela," Trent said in a disgustingly suave way that made Sam almost forget just how big the lion was and take a step forward, "If you really want my help, all you have to do is say please."

Mikaela snorted at the way the words were said. Trent was, admittedly, extremely attractive to the young woman, but much too cocky and tedious. True, he was useful to the Guard, well respected by Fanzone and a good person to have if you got in a fight with other Predators, but these come-ons were starting to get old and stale.

"Okay," The Husky said, voice dropping suggestively so she had his full attention, "Trent, could you please take us to see Galloway so we can arrange a meeting between him, Sumdac and our matriarch?"

Trent leaned his shoulder against Mikaela's, their fur prickling together at contact and making Sam, still standing with his tail raised, growl a decibel higher. The gold lion thought the request over for a moment and gave the lady a nuzzle with his head, "Anything for you, my little bunny. Of course, you might want to bring along Billy or Fanzone. His royalness has been in a foul mood since last week."

Sam sulked noticeably as Mikaela reciprocated the nuzzle and gave a rather snide question, "Oh, what happened last week? He get heart-burn devouring some unsuspecting baby elephant?"

Trent looked over at the son of The City's matriarch, "Actually, your Guard and those morsels from Red Plain have turned into a real thorn in his side. He's pissed at the fact that you brought Black and Rhodes into custody and that now he has to rely on Masterson doing his biddings. Words is, he's planning on surprising one of the young men involved with a nasty present."

Sam's face, despite being covered in fur at the moment, seemed to blanch white at Trent's words and Mikaela seemed even more curious. The only one's involved with that horrendous affair were her, Sam, Billy, Carlos, Rad and their Mini-cons. If one of the Guardsmen were targeted they could generally handle themselves, but if it was one of the young men from Red Plain she wanted to know what to do to prevent such a thing.

"Who?" Mikaela asked, rubbing a little more against Trent's chest.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Transformers; that lot is the property of Hasbro/Takara.

Okay, this is another one-shot because I feel up to writing one. Enjoy if you can.

* * *

_To get better, you have to have the will  
And your own desire to live.  
-The Fall._

* * *

**Healer's Rewards:**

With care and gentle demeanor that came from years of doing this sort of thing, Fred's smooth but large hands started putting Sideswipe back together.

Red Alert, unable to do anything but watch from his own medical berth, was awed by the sight on display. Unlike Transformer medics who put a mech or femme together one piece at a time with tools meant to melt, screw, bolt and rewire everything, human Healers used their own energy to pull flesh or metal together. And Fred's was especially brilliant, the color of a warm sunset circling his hands where ever he needed the energy to go.

Invisible to even his special optics, special energy signals put one broken part of Sideswipe back together again at a time, his light synthetic skin losing its ripped and shredded appearance and starting to form a healthy energy signal and almost polished shine, wires moving back into place and re-connecting to circulate energon and oil and other necessary things to keep the young mech going. Once every few minutes, the brunette with the ram horns atop his head would pause his ministrations to lean further into the wounds and pulled out debris, including rocks and melted scrap sticking to stuff it shouldn't.

"That's amazing," Red Alert breathed.

"It's nothing special," Fred replied lightly, "If I were like Sari, he would be done right now and conscious. I'm not used to working on you mechs, so forgive me if you have to deal with him after I fix you up. I'll be done with him in a moment and I'll get right over to you. Don't worry."

"You do lovely work," The CMO stated plainly. He was no good at bestowing compliments very often, but this was a special occasion and the young man deserved it. He'd given Red Alert the chance to actually witness human healing in action, to observe how differently their species worked on things of the body. And he did it rather flawlessly, Red Alert thought, an excited shiver running up his spinal strut in what he assumed people connected to being giddy.

"Are all you healers like this?" The blue medic asked curiously, optics still focused and gleaming while Fred put Sideswipe back together, having to move on his knees over the cracked—no, not really cracked anymore, now that the young man's energy was putting him back together—chassis so he could even reach the other areas. It was cute in an organic sort of way.

"Well, no. Not all of us," Fred answered simply, "Most of us can only fix up other humans or other organic creatures. Not a whole lot of us can also fix machines. And we can't fix everything. We try and fix everything and we're screwed."

Yet another human phrase Red Alert hadn't quite gotten the hang of yet.

"Eh?"

"Oh, right," Fred chuckled in a sort of self-deprecating way, taking a second to scratch the back of his neck, "Um, how should I put this… When we try and completely heal someone like you, then our energy gets sucked in by their energy and then we get their injuries. But, we find ways around this by stopping just shy of the scratches or small cuts. For Sideswipe, I'll stop just below his neck wires and then I'll start on you. Based on your injuries and the energy levels you're exhibiting, I'll have to leave your right stabilizing servo broken. Understand?"

Red Alert tilted his head, "Does this also apply to the organics you treat?"

"No."

"Than why just mechas?"

"I have no idea," Fred answered, "Professor Sumdac said it has something to do with our magic or genetics getting thrown off by the energon you consume, but he's still not entirely sure."

"Mmm. This was very interesting."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. There, I said it.

* * *

_There is no situation you cannot escape.  
You KNOW the escape.  
-Redbelt._

* * *

**Don't Scream:**

With careful paws that crept across the freezing cold floor with all the ease born of the finest tracker in the world, Alexis continued to walk through Whipstaph's hallways looking for not only Yoketron, but for the All Spark Cube as well. Little buggers were hiding somewhere. If she focused on the infinitesimal energy left by the white ninja-bot, chances were high enough that she would be able to find the Cube, too. Places like Whipstaph may have been built for storing vast amounts of practically anything in the world, but there was a flaw in that the energy tended to become lazy after being inactive for so long. Yoketron and the All Spark were probably in the exact same hall, if not the same room.

"How much longer is this going to take?"

Sureshock, ever faithfully beside his girl in his alt mode, lifted his head from eyeing the thousands of ancient human writings on the floor and gave Carlos a mechanical growl.

"_If we're boring you, you could always go back outside,"_ Sureshock suggested, ignoring Grindor's disapproving sigh at his tone.

Carlos scoffed at the orange Mini-con, still keeping a hand on the sword he'd brought and eyeing Alexis as she started to lead them into a hallway made of glass floors, walls and ceilings, the same engravings as behind them were written everywhere in fine blue paint. He didn't like where they were going here, and Prowl obviously didn't either, so he wanted an answer to his question.

"Just give me a straight answer," The tan young man ground out.

Sureshock growled again, but this time not at Carlos.

They had come to a three-way split in the hall and Alexis had lifted her head from sniffing the ground to look suspiciously at the door that was technically the middle hallway. The other two hallways were blocked by even more glass. Some of the symbols and old writings on the glass halls were glowing red and she looked… Carlos wasn't quite sure. Anxious, maybe?

Hesitantly, Alexis walked over to the left hall with the glass blockage, muttering backwards at the gazelle and slowly putting her right paw against the glass, "We'll get there when we get there. I really don't need this pressure right now—"

Out of nowhere, cutting off the rest of her sentence, something only she and Sureshock could see struck the glass with such force as to break it, but only managing to give it a couple of cracks and make both wolves give a surprised shriek. Both of them jolted back, Sureshock coasting to a stop just next to Grindor and Alexis bracing her left side against a wall with an angry snarl.

Prowl took up a defensive stance, as did Carlos and Grindor held onto Sureshock's shoulders as his gestalt mate tried to advance at whatever had shoved the glass and scared them. All of them gave a startled look as Alexis walked back over to them, growling, "I hate it when they do that. They wait for you to put your face right up to the glass and then they give you the scare of your life! Bastards."

"What? Wait, who?" Prowl asked, still shaking. This island was a fascist torture chamber!

"_Poltergeists,"_ Sureshock answered, breaking free of Grindor's grasp with a little shove to his friend and gave the glass as dirty a glare as a Mini-con with no real facial features possibly could.

_"…Poltergeists? Like Hallows Eve and bed sheets, poltergeists_?" Grindor asked.

"_Kind of, yes,"_ Sureshock replied, "_Only worse. The ones here, especially."_

Carlos grumbled, moving out of his stance to walk right up to the glass, his nose almost touching it and trying to see what they were even talking about. All he could see was an empty room with glowing writing on the glass. The aura around it was strange, but then, so was this whole fucking island.

"You won't be able to see it without some post-cognition, genius," Alexis sneered without turning around to look at her former comrade. She was trying to get the only door open, but was having little success as it was locked and the hinges were rusted.

Carlos resisted the urge to cuss at the black wolf, opting instead to ask with feigned politeness, "Then would one of you show me? You know, so I can tell if you're speaking the truth or lying out of your ass."

Teal eyes looked with amusement in his direction for a moment, before going right back to the door. Perhaps if she could wedge her nails in between the hinges she could pull the door off of its frame on one side…

"Sureshock," Alexis said, "Show Carlos the specter, please."  
**  
Transferred Tastes:**"I don't suppose there's not even the remotest of possibilities that involve us getting out of here that doesn't involve going down the hole?"

"Not one," Leo answered truthfully.

Both Simmons and Carlos sighed as the eldest of the three males pointed his lantern down the hole, its blackness swallowing the light and making it seem about ten times more creepy than it actually was.

"Who goes down first?" Carlos suddenly asked, deciding to drop the small round stone he'd carried through the dark halls of Whipstaph into the hole to see if there would be a sound of the floor or an end somewhere down. When the black rock left the Spaniard's hand, all the males went silent for a moment, listening. After exactly thirty-one seconds, all of them were half-relieved and half-horrified to hear it bounce around a few times and then make that sound that one would connect to spinning from momentum.

Simmons lifted his hand to waste high and held it in a fist, "Best out of one. Loser goes first."

Carlos and Leo made the same motion and all three of them chanted, "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Since fate seemed to hate the eldest of the three Earth males, Simmons was met with two papers to his one rock.

"Of course," Simmons sighed. He handed Leo the lantern, rolled up his sleeves and made his way down the pit, the decrepit old ladder used to hold him up making the worst noise associated with wood. Creaking and groaning and that unmistakable sound that was splintering under his weight.

**Vengeance is Sweet:**

Jetfire and Jetstorm stared up in with no such subtle horror at Rad as, in his second form and now standing at the same size as Tidal Wave, he had them pinned under his sturdy black hooves and questioned with a degree of lethalness in his voice that they hadn't known was there, "Where is Sentinel? I really need to talk to him, like, now. So, where is he?"

Both youngling jets gave a little shiver at Rad's tone, one that he had never used in front of anyone and realized in perhaps the exact same moment, that if they didn't tell him the truth he would probably reveal another altogether scary side of himself. And, as much as they were devoted to the blue plow and grateful for everything he had done for them, they were pretty sure that Rad wouldn't (necessarily) kill him for whatever he had done to make the red elk so mad and both motioned with their pointer finger towards the outside. Sentinel was in a training session with Scavenger and Smokescreen, so there were witnesses. It was a small comfort, but if there were at least two strong, hefty mechs standing nearby, there would be a much lesser percentage of a chance of Rad gutting Sentinel.

Rad gave a less than sincere thanks with a cant of his head, large and dangerous looking horns making the task look impossible, and moved off of the two of them. His hooves made the usual clacking sounds against the base as he made for the door and the twins gave each other a stunned look.  
**  
Don't Hate:**

"You know," Megatron said as he stood behind Alexis, arms at his side but wanting very much to just reach up to her and start running his fingers over the billions of bleeding wounds on her left side that kept moving around with sick slurping noises every other moment, "Starscream only ever said that you're so supremely different from the other females on the ship that it was hard not to like you this way. I always wanted to see your other form."

"Well," Alexis sighed, listlessly swaying her legs as she sat on the crow's nest in a broken down mockery of how a child would swing their legs when bored; the left one making even more of those sick noises that the horned mech always associated with pain, "Here I am. What do you think?"

Ah. Here was one time that Megatron didn't really have a way to describe what he thought. On the one hand, he generally didn't care what most people thought about what he said, or if what he said hurt or shamed them in any way. But, on the other hand, he'd grown just the tiniest bit attached to the girl and there was this even smaller bit of his processor that told him to keep his meaner thoughts in check.

Now was one of the few times he would listen to that little part of his processor.

"Well… you're much smaller than I thought you'd be."

**Sex, Love and Lonely Hearts:**

High Wire stared up at the stars again, standing just out of the cave to the Autobot's base. The most beautiful sounds were coming from Carlos and Rad's designated tribal home. Rad had explained that once every full moon the tribe's people would sing their own songs to the sky and stars in an effort to attract a mate or to try and make the loved ones they already had feel happy and alive. High Wire could understand that. The Mini-cons used to do that back on Cybertron before the war and it was so wonderful.

He really wanted to go down there and listen and watch and enjoy everything, but this was the first time he, Grindor and Sureshock had been able to get together in a week and a half, so he chose to stay and talk. Besides, Rad promised he'd sing for him later, and the Street Action leader could wait.

He turned around and looked up at the rocky outcrop that provided shade for the caverns that were behind him, to see Sureshock and Grindor already settled and watching the activities of the tribe. Grindor had a dreamy look, Carlos having already sung an hour ago in dedication to his partner/mate, and was clutching Sureshock's arm because he could barely keep himself from spewing giddiness from the bottom of his spark. Sureshock looked as irritated as he always did, but was obviously holding back the urge to mock the festivities in favor of letting his friend be happy for the time being.

High Wire beeped a greeting as he scuttled up to them, taking his spot on the other side of Sureshock and allowing himself the small pleasure of giving the orange Mini-con a squeeze to the arm. The orange mech gave a little rumble that could have been made in annoyance or in like of the contact, one or the other.

"_What are they singing about this time, eh_?" Sureshock asked.

"_Same thing as always,"_ High Wire answered, "_Falling in love, puppy love, love at first sight, making love, babies from love."_

Grindor added on to the list, _"One love in a million, shy love, kind love, eternal love. It's so wonderful, don't you think?"_

Sureshock shuttered his optics to half-light, "_That's all? Don't they ever run out material or try a little variety?"_

Both of the thinner mechs gave the other a look that easily conveyed what the other's thoughts were about such a question. Who could ever tire of love? Sureshock was probably just curious, but what else was there to really enjoy in art if it didn't involve something so peaceful. The Autobots spent their online live trying to protect such an ideal, why not sing about it?

"_Rad says that's what all Herbivores sing about,"_ High Wire tried to answer, looking back over to the village as another young person started off a round of singing about some girl with blue eyes, "_Throughout all the kingdoms. Herbivores sing of love, Predators sing of sex, the Kings and Queens sing of success and the Guardsmen sing of battles won. What else is there?"_

Sureshock shrugged his shoulders, "_I'm not knocking it. I just thought there'd be more. Not every person is happy and in love, after all_."

**Crashing:**

The trap door shut just in time to keep the three laser blasts from knocking his head off as Rad settled onto the cold metal floor with High Wire, detonator in hand. The loud crunch of burnt heavy metal rang out with two more blasts as Black approached from the other side of the door.

"What are you even going to do with that, White?" The blond scientist snarled, foot banging on the door in a rage, "Blow us all up?"

A sad smile settled on Rad's features as he leaned his whole body atop High Wire's sleeping form and called out, "No, just you."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Transformers are the official property of Hasbro/Takara, etc, blah, blah, yadda, yadda.

Yet another one-shot, seeing as these are lacking in this collection and something has been nagging me to pay some attention to Sparkplug.

_

* * *

_

When the world's crashing down,  
When I fall and hit the ground,  
I will turn myself around,  
Don't you try to stop me.  
-Alice, by Avril Lavigne.

* * *

**Follow the Recipe:**

Mirage watched carefully outside the small room he and a few of the more feral Mini-cons had dug inside the Autobot base for themselves and couldn't help but call backwards towards Sparkplug every so often about his doubts about this half-wit of a plan.

"_I really hope that you know what you're doing with this,"_ Mirage whispered, despite there being nobody else in the tunnel and even fewer Mini-cons who even knew of its existence.

Sparkplug hummed from his place in the center of the small room, so reminiscent of the ones Sureshock constantly dragged them into.

Actually, compared to those mausoleum-like tunnels of death, the room at the Autobot base was warm and inviting, despite being only about the size of a storage closet. But, even that was deceptive; they had only kept it so small because Sureshock said if it was much larger, it would attract attention from the Bulks or the humans whom seemed to notice everything.

The whole room was outfitted with cupboards and shelves and drawers filled to the brim with strange things that the more open-minded Mini-cons kept bringing in from Cold Mountain and all the other places they went. Sparkplug and Sureshock in particular had gathered herbs and potions that they thought could be of great use. The yellow leader-con was presently working at the small table Jolt had found and given to Mirage, carefully and with excruciating slowness making something that Mirage was pretty sure if the Bulks ever saw again would cause Cliffjumper to nuke the blue racer's entire existence.

A glowing lamp that used oil and twine burned brightly above Sparkplug's helm as he bent over the subject of his undivided attentions. The potion Sureshock had taught him to make, Maliargum.

A shiver ran up Mirage's back strut at simply the thought of the concoction. Or, more specifically, the trouble caused by it. Hot Shot, Blurr and Bulkhead were still barely larger than the humans, as were some of the Decepticons, and the Horplecushion still wasn't finished yet. True, the three Autobots were less mad than they had been (thank Primus for the humans' games and teachings) but with this fool trick Sparkplug was going to play, Mirage had a nasty feeling that it was all about to go downhill. Again.

Sparkplug gave a little chuckle to himself as he turned to one of the drawers and started weeding through the mess of brass, steel, glass, ruby, bronze, copper and all the other kinds human belongings resembling rings. Some of them fell to the floor with a happy or sad note, but all with a resonating clang in Sparkplug's haste.

"_Let's see,"_ The very young leader beeped to himself, "_Two discarded wedding rings…Must be…Ah-hah_!"

Victoriously, Sparkplug pulled out and held to the light a pair of two small rings that once fit over human ring fingers. One of them had been given to them by Swindle after he'd been down one of the sewage tunnels in The City and was a sort of tired, murky gold. The other one was a shining white and had been given to High Wire by Rad's father. The Pre-cog said it would somehow be useful to them and his wife didn't need it anymore.

Sparkplug turned on his stabilizing servo and dropped them into the pot of chilled liquid, already consisting of catfish eyes, a cup of glow worm silk and blood that nobot wanted to ask where Sureshock had gotten it from. Two ingredients left and Mirage took a step away from the door. He didn't want to be standing too close if Sparkplug added too much and that horrible scent of swamp mud and vomit wafted through the room.

"_Let's go over this once more,"_ Mirage spoke, "_You're doing this stupid, brainless thing because…?"_

The yellow mech hummed again, servos holding his list up to the light, optics flickered and then turned to the far wall to start poking around in a cupboard before answering, "The Elite Guard are coming back in a couple of days and you can bet that they are going to make fun of the others for being shrunk down to our size, right? So, I'm putting this in their energon to teach them a lesson."

"And if they don't say anything?"

"_They __**will**__,__**"**_ Sparkplug snorted, half of his upper body disappearing into the cupboard as he tried to reach the lilac moth dust, "_If there's anything worth counting on in this neck of the galaxy, you can bet it's Sentinel's trenchant vocalizer and Ultra Magnus silently agreeing with him. I just want to put them in a glass house so they can't throw stones. They annoy Optimus, they insult us Mini-cons and I'm putting what Sureshock taught me to good use- There it is!"_

Giving a little jolt, Mirage peaked back into the room as Sparkplug stumbled back out of the cupboard, servos grasping a little bag tied up with a bow. A cute smile adorned his face as he opened the bag and dumped some of the moth dust into the mixture. It sparkled brilliantly in the light, foaming up in the red of the blood before it settled and turned the liquid into a sort of sunset orange.

Mirage sighed. There was one component left and he moved into the room to assist the yellow mech up to one of the higher shelves. The blue mech grabbed a fold-out ladder from a different drawer and placed it before the left side of the room. It wobbled a little, so he stayed close as Sparkplug nodded in thanks and tried to reach the shelf that housed the ingredients that came from Sureshock's own partner.

The last ingredient that Sparkplug needed was in a miniature wicker box. Within the box were tiny little beetles that were blacker than night with night blue lines on their backs and no bigger than even the largest ladybugs. Sureshock said that they were non-sentient and they were called Deep Sorrow. One could only find them in the most dangerous parts of the world, they actually only existed in two kingdoms; Gale Fort and Cold Mountain.

Cycling his vents like one would before a prayer, Sureshock carefully, delicately, set the box next to the bubbling potion. He really hated this part.

Very quickly and with a great deal of practiced, controlled strength the yellow leader-con opened the tiny latch on the box and plucked one of the horrible little beetles from the cluster within. It struggled in between two of his fingers as Mirage shut the box and Sparkplug dropped the beetle into the liquid. It made a sort of hissing sound, like steam coming out of a kettle, then it started to crumple into dust particles and turned the potion the color of Early Morning Blue.

The Maliargum was most definitely ready.

"_Oh, this is such a terrible idea,"_ Mirage groaned, servos clutching the wicker box tightly in anxiety.

Sparkplug gave a chirpy laugh and moved to the cupboard with two dozen of every vile, syringe, cup, flask and container the feral Mini-cons could find, looking for the one that was an exact replica of all the ones the others had used to shrink the three Autobots and Decepticons down to their size. After two seconds exactly, he pulled it from the top shelf of the cupboard and started pouring the Maliargum into it. The blue mixture turned from being so hot to ice cold at its change in position, sending a satisfied ripple over Sparkplug's armor. He'd still doubted he'd gotten things right until that instant.

"_It's kinda great, though, right?"_


	20. Chapter 20

Title: Seven Kingdoms: 15 Rad Sentences.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any form of Transformers. Happy?

Okay, this is obviously still part of the whole of the story-line, but I feel that I am not portraying Rad's absolutely important point. So, I'm devoting this chapter to him in fifteen sentences.

* * *

_What am I supposed to do,  
When the best part of me was always you?  
I'm falling to pieces.  
-Breakeven, by The Script._

* * *

**Regret:**

Staring up into the face of the black wolf, Rad knows he's seeing his godsister for the first time in five years and that he hates himself because he couldn't stop time from putting that anger in her eyes and those bleeding wounds all over her body.

**Captured:**

"Now, if I just put the tack through the first ring, turn it three times counter-clockwise, push the dial and wriggle it until it clicks, I'd say we'll be out in, oh, three hours," Maggie chirps backwards from her position in front of the lock, completely ignorant to the horrified look on Rad's face.

**Poker Face:**

Rad is pretty sure he's hallucinating and he's pretty sure that there's no way in hell High Wire would say such a thing in a billion years; but then, why is he still pressing against the red elk and why is his servo travelling dangerously far south?

**Bright Day:**

Thick fingers scraped the wax that covered the bottle's cork and Rad had a feeling that he should take a few steps back before Hot Shot actually managed to open the Simple Pleasures and become entirely too happy for the young man's liking.

**Midnight:**

Optimus had never felt so comfortable and at peace as in that moment with his whole body floating twenty feet above Rad, who was being generous enough to keep him hovering above the waterhole near the base.

**Grown Boys:**

"Where do newly constructed humans come from?" Was not something that Rad had ever, ever, ever expected to be asked by not only the miniaturized 'Bots, but also the Mini-cons, so running seemed like the right decision at the moment.

**Stand Up If You're Broken:**

Eyes of fire and brimstone stared back without something Rad could vaguely register as indignity as he did his best to put the horned leader of the Decepticons back together again, but Rad's ocean eyes stared right back; he was used to being stared down by people that others said were his enemy, but were really only afraid of everyone.

**Tussle:**

"Forget it amigo, you are _never_ gonna beat me at tag!"

**Back to Back:**

The blond tries hard not to giggle, smile or do anything else that could let Optimus see just how hilarious this all is, but he quickly brakes down when Carlos stumbles in through the base's entrance, turns and makes a loud squawk of surprise as the gazelle sees that the commander of the Autobots is exactly his size and has a less than pleased aura radiating off of him in waves.

**Face Down:**

Rad is never truly afraid when his father tells him the first time that he'll die if he tries to stop the Transformer war; he was actually oddly at peace with the idea, until his dad also said that the closer he got to the date set by destiny, the more his death changed.

**Swords:**

Despite Yoketron's lithe and graceful movements, it was easy enough for Rad to evade him if he mimed and then tackled the white techno-stag; he'd played this game before, but that had been a bit more difficult, considering he'd been facing off with Keller and only nine years old.

**Shoot Out:**

Push, like life, is complicated, dangerous and sometimes disastrous; so when Sentinel decides to ask him to a sparring match, Rad is tempted to decline as a knee-jerk reaction.

**Trial:**

"Now remember boys," Keller says in a way that could easily be seen as teaching despite the elder lying in the shade and simply watching Rad and Carlos become immersed in combat, "Whoever wins this round gets that sweet mint."

**Blind:**

Out of the seemingly never ending ocean of mist, the red elk's blue eyes focused on what he could only assume was a manor house, standing in the middle of the forest like some foreboding, dark figure in many a dream he'd had over the years.

**Little Spies:**

Rad decides absently that Megatron really isn't so bad, and slowly, so as not to disturb the now dwarfed mech in his recharge, leaves the colossal cavern Megatron had been using since they over-ran the place and exits back out through the tunnels; the image of the horned mech curled up beside Frenzy, Leader-1 and a couple other Mini-cons, etched into his mind.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Transformers, who are legally owned by rights and paperwork by Hasbro/Takara, blah, blah, blah.

* * *

_All the world shall be your enemy,  
You with the thousand enemies.  
And if ever they catch you,  
They will kill you.  
But first, they must catch you;  
Digger, Listener, Runner,  
You with the swift warning.  
Be cunning, and full of tricks,  
And your people will never be destroyed.  
-Watership Down._

**

* * *

**

Chirp, Chirp, Cricket:

"They did it to you too?"

Bumblebee, now a mere five feet tall and surprisingly very clean after being tossed out of Cold Mountain sopping wet, stood before Sari with a bashful sort of smile as the kitten gave him a thrice over with her gorgeous eyes.

"Uh, not exactly," The yellow mech coughed, bending over to pet Sari on the ears. He'd felt them before, of course, but now her fur sent delicious thrills up his back struts. Not to mention the purrs that resonated from her as his thumb pressed over a special spot, "I actually, um…asked…Sureshock to do this."

"…Why?"

"I… Well, the others aren't doing very well, and since I've always been, you know…"

"Short?"

Bumblebee cycled his vents and put on an exaggerated fake smile, "Yeah, that. I thought, since I've always been a little smaller than the average 'Bot, I could show them that being small doesn't mean you're helpless."

"Try saying that like you mean it," Sari laughed, pawing Bumblebee's fingers playfully.

**Broken Rosebush:**

Careful optics travelled and observed the movement of his fingers as Frenzy completely ignored the staggering amount of blood decorating his silver paintjob when he pulled the wire he'd stitched through an unhealthy expanse of flesh. When the mutilated tissue touched with the usual a bubbling squelch, the little hacker set to work again; this time moving from the lower back to stitch up the ripped skin of the young woman's shoulders.

Perhaps, and this was a small perhaps, he should be grateful he didn't have to work around that Primus awful amount of pitch black fur that would have been obscuring the lining of rotted out flesh had Sureshock's partner not been knocked out. He was never grateful for anything, but he should probably be grateful for this. At least at the moment, Alexis wasn't snapping or growling or being her usual bull-bitch self; right now she was just an unconscious body that needed to be put back together like a ragdoll abused by too many over-grown toddlers.

Of course he still had to be careful. Starscream, the flyer who bitched more than, well, _this_ bitch, liked the little fleshling and would be sad to lose his confidant and Sureshock had threatened to tear off his upper limbs if he screwed this up in any way whatsoever. Barricade would hopefully fight off at least Starscream, but frankly, Frenzy was less worried about a Seeker with anger issues and more worried about the Mini-con who (insert disbelieving snort/twisting feeling in stomach) had orchestrated the shrinking of a handful of both Autobots and Decepticons, volunteered to help his partner hunt and kill animals twice his size and wasn't loyal to anyone but his gestalt mates and the little organic Frenzy was trying to fix.

Frenzy grumbled and went back to work, '_Now all I have to do is maneuver around the old stitches, blood and puss._'

**Mission Impossible:**

Yellow optics twitched with the act of trying to suppress the laughter that had the potential to send Sentinel into another hate spewing rant and the other…ahem…dwarfed Autobots into a heavy bout of indignation. In all his long life, he never thought something could make him smile so wide under his face mask or brighten his day like this sort of thing. True, it was at some of his best soldiers' expense but it was nice to feel happy again.

Ultra Magnus, standing bare inches from Sentinel and his presence the only thing that was keeping the blue plow from decking Sparkplug as he stood on Prime's knee atop the medical berth, was in as much of a foul mood as all the other miniaturized mechs but he spoke calmly and levelly to the younger Autobot that was technically his commander, "Optimus, I'd like to enquire as to what has been going on these last few days. What has happened to make the five of us like this?"

"Human magic," The semi said simply, shrugging his shoulders in a way that Ultra Magnus took to mean that he was quite used to these sorts of things happening lately, "Some of the Mini-cons have been receiving lessons on it from…persons I don't know very well. It's not dangerous, though."

"Why use it on us?" The much older mech asked, servo tightening on his tall, proud hammer in frustration. He was not a fan of being made a fool of by such small beings and despite his seemingly endless patience; he could only take so much more of this. Or hold Sentinel back, for that matter.

"Uh," Optimus hesitated, looking down at Sparkplug nervously and then to the door where he just knew the other more animalistic, insensitive and downright scary Mini-cons were listening in on their conversation.

"_You're annoying,"_ Sparkplug finally spoke, shocking not only Optimus, but the other mechs on the berth as well.

"Sparkplug—" Optimus started but was unable to continued when the yellow Mini-con went on in a voice that spoke nothing if not the truth, Ultra Magnus and the others getting more indignant by the second.

"_Sureshock was the one who placed the Maliargum around the base for Hot Shot and Blurr because one was careless with not only his brother, but with the humans as well and the other has no respect for us Mini-cons. Bulkhead was an accident, but he's learning a lot in this form and you two_," Here Sparkplug's voice seemed to darken for a second as he pointed at the Magnus and Sentinel, eliciting a snarl from the younger of the two, "_Are a couple of the worst mechs we've ever met, and that's including the Decepticons."_

"Now see here," Sentinel started, taking a step forward. He didn't get far as not Ultra Magnus or Optimus, but Bulkhead gave him a swift whap to the helm to make him shut up and pay attention to what Sparkplug had to say.

"_It's true! You bully the humans and Mini-cons, dismiss them if they offer plausible suggestions in battle and have no respect for any of us. This is as just a punishment as any we could possibly give you and I'm not changing you back until you've learned your lesson!"_

With that, Sparkplug ignored the shocked looks on everyone's faceplates and jumped off Prime's knee to head outside the med bay, a sort of swagger in his walk.

**Can't Touch This:**

The cold water—if it really was water, like Grindor said—ran steadily over Carlos' tan hands and slowly, almost tauntingly, the blood washed off his hands but clung stubbornly to his nails and knuckles. Obviously, he needed to take a different approach or this would never come fully off. He'd been standing by the creek for the last hour and only his hands were semi-done. He still had to somehow get the red stains off of his upper arms and chest.

Picking up a moderately rough stone that hadn't yet been run smooth by time and moving water, the warrior got to work on trying to get the blood out. It hurt like hell and his fingers became itchy when the stuff still wouldn't at least rub onto the stone and he felt the vein in his temple start to pulse painfully.

When he decided the stone he was using wouldn't cut it, Carlos got up, walked past Grindor and got the roughest, sandiest rock he could; some little ants skittered off and onto his skin, making their way away from the young man that had disturbed what was probably their home. All eventually dropped to the ground before he resumed his spot beside the creek and began rubbing his skin raw.

**Get Out Alive:**

Metal clangs were heard as they padded the earth they ran over as Hot Shot and Blurr followed Rad swiftly, the stag lifting his head to look at the darkening sky every few moments. Thick black clouds were swarming the sky and he was getting even more anxious as he called behind him for the two of them to hurry up before they all drowned.

Deciding it would be safer in vehicle mode, the dwarfed Autobots switched to their car forms and caught up with the red elk, Hot Shot calling over the sound of thunder that echoed through the Blaze Gorge canyon, "Why do we need to go so fast? It's just water!"

Rad caught his breath for a second and called back without stopping, "You've never been in a desert rainstorm, it's very dangerous!"

Blurr just missed swiping up against a low overhang of rock as a pure, bright slice of lightning lit up over them and Hot Shot smashed into one of the boulders Rad had leapt over, his hair bristling as he could hear and smell some light sprinkling of rain starting out behind them. If they didn't make it back to base soon, they would be as good as dead. The elk wanted no such thing to happen to him or his friends, and with some luck they would make it before the he could actually feel the water up his pelt.


End file.
